A three-day strike by French air traffic controllers will cause sweeping cancellations and major delays for holidaymakers across the whole of Europe starting from today.

All airlines using French airports have been asked to cancel 50 per cent of their services, but flights that cross over French airspace will also be affected, causing further disruption across the continent.

The strike action began at 6am local time and air traffic controllers will not return to work until 6am on Friday.

France’s civil aviation authority confirmed that one in every two flights to Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and Bordeaux is cancelled.

Airlines are contacting passengers affected by cancellations and offering them the chance to rebook or receive a refund.

The French strike is being held to protest plans by the EU to create a single European airspace instead of allowing each member state to control its own skies.