Air France cancels 30 per cent flights due to strikes

Hundreds of Air France flights have been cancelled as pilots, cabin crew and ground staff continued with a fifth-day strike demanding higher pay.

The strike has affected international and domestic travel, with a quarter of long-haul flights cancelled. Around a third of medium-haul flights to and from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport have not taken off, according to AFP reports.

Workers unions say they deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have brought the carrier back to operating profitability. Their wages have been effectively frozen since 2011.

The unions had called for daylong work stoppages in February, demanding a six per cent pay raise and rejected the Air France managements offer of a one per cent raise this year.

The management estimated 34 per cent of pilots walked out, 26 per cent of crew and 19 per cent of ground staff.

As the unions warned of more strikes, the airline has warned that the strikes are costing Air France 25 million euros ($30 million) each day, money the airline should be investing in buying planes and creating jobs.