Air France cancels 20 per cent of flights on day four of strike

The French national carrier said it expected similar service on Sunday with some 80 percent of flights still running.

However, “last minute cancellations and delays cannot be ruled out,” the airline added in a statement.

“Difficulties with the composition of the crews could also lead to limits on the number of passengers per flight,” it said.

Unions representing around half of the strikers called the strike, which began Wednesday, after talks failed to reach a breakthrough on renewing a collective labour accord on rules, pay and promotions that expires in October.

Management wants to limit the extension of the agreement to 17 months, whereas unions are asking for between three and five years.

Air France has recently grappled with pilot strikes as well. The last one took place from June 11 to June 14, right at the start of Euro 2016 football championships. The airline estimated that the stoppage cost it some 40 million euros.

- with AFP