French air traffic controllers strike hits Europe summer travel
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled in France, with the strike by two French unions also affecting air traffic across western Europe.
Half of flights in Nice, France's third-largest airport, and a quarter of flights at Paris Orly and Paris Charles de Gaulle, one of Europe's busiest hubs, have been cancelled.
Disruption is expected to worsen on Friday, the eve of the school holidays.
"We're trying to stay positive, there are worse things, but it's annoying," Nadia Rivet, a 51-year-old bank employee, told AFP.
Rivet was planning to spend six days in the French capital but her flight from the southwestern city of Pau on Thursday morning was cancelled.
"Everyone has the right to strike, but it's punitive. Air traffic controllers aren't the worst off," she said, adding she hoped to have more luck on Friday.
The DGAC civil aviation authority has asked airlines to cancel some of their flights to ensure there are enough controllers on duty.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
7 hours ago
- Mint
KLM data breach: Flying Blue members receive email notification; here's what was exposed
KLM has reportedly confirmed that a data breach at an external customer service provider has resulted in the exposure of personal details of several customers, including those enrolled in its Flying Blue loyalty programme. According to a report by Techzine, the breach involved unauthorised access to a third-party customer support platform used by both KLM and its partner airline, Air France. While KLM emphasised that sensitive information, such as passwords, travel dates, passport numbers, credit card details, and Flying Blue miles, was not compromised, the airline admitted that some personal data was indeed accessed. In a message to affected customers, KLM revealed that the compromised data may include first and last names, phone numbers, email addresses, Flying Blue membership numbers and status levels, as well as the subject lines of previous customer service requests, the report added. The breach reportedly affects those who had previously contacted the airline's customer support. As per the publication, KLM clarified that its internal systems remained secure and were not impacted by the incident. The airline's IT security team, along with the external vendor, acted quickly to contain the breach and reinforce data protection protocols. "This resulted in unauthorised access to customer data," said a KLM spokesperson. "Our dedicated teams, together with the third-party system involved, quickly took the necessary steps to address the situation and reinforce protective measures to prevent this from happening again." The incident has been reported to relevant authorities, with KLM notifying the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens), and Air France contacting the French data watchdog CNIL. Though no critical financial or travel-related data was exposed, security experts warn that the stolen information could be exploited to craft convincing phishing messages or fraudulent communication, the report noted. KLM is urging its customers to be particularly cautious when receiving unexpected emails or phone calls requesting personal information or prompting urgent action. This is not the first time KLM has faced data privacy concerns. In December 2023, Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that a flaw in KLM's SMS system allowed flight information to be accessed without proper authentication. Earlier the same year, another breach involving the Flying Blue programme had similarly exposed customer data. In a communication to affected customers, as shared by a flyer on X, the airline expressed its regret. The message, signed by Barry ter Voert, Chief Experience Officer at KLM, read: 'We understand the concern this may cause, and we deeply regret any inconvenience this may have caused you.' Affected individuals are being encouraged to stay alert and to report any suspicious activity to the KLM Customer Contact Centre.
Mint
10 hours ago
- Mint
The healing power of blue: Finding adventures and life lessons in scuba diving
Gift this article One plunge into the ocean is often all it takes to realise how minuscule we are in the colossal universe. For those who have experienced life beneath the surface, the sea is more than just a vast body of water—it's a place of surrender, stillness, and deep perspective. In the deep calm of blue, each breath becomes meditative – therapeutic for the mind and a calming balm for the soul. On the occasion of International Scuba Diving Day, Lounge dives into the stories of people for whom the ocean has become not just a world of adventure but a form of healing. One plunge into the ocean is often all it takes to realise how minuscule we are in the colossal universe. For those who have experienced life beneath the surface, the sea is more than just a vast body of water—it's a place of surrender, stillness, and deep perspective. In the deep calm of blue, each breath becomes meditative – therapeutic for the mind and a calming balm for the soul. On the occasion of International Scuba Diving Day, Lounge dives into the stories of people for whom the ocean has become not just a world of adventure but a form of healing. AN EXERCISE IN EMOTIONAL CLARITY When solo traveller Raksha Nagaraj signed up for her first dive in 2006 at the Netrani Islands, Murdeshwar, Karnataka, she wasn't exactly prepared. 'I went in a T-shirt! Needless to say, it was a horrible experience," she laughs. But the ocean had cast its spell on her and the water kept calling her back. Today, with over 85 dives across 16 countries behind her, the certified diver has seen it all—from manta rays in New Caledonia to delicate sea horses in Australia. She has also co-founded Open Sky Circles, an organisation which offers ocean-based travel experiences, including scuba diving and aquatic adventures. Among all her dives, the one in New Caledonia stands out. 'The instructor spoke French, I spoke English. The boat was rocky, the water freezing, the currents strong and neither of us understood the other… and then, two manta rays circled over me while I knelt on the ocean bed. It was just surreal," she recalls. For Nagaraj, diving offers more than just marine sightings—it brings emotional clarity. 'I have had anxiety and panic attacks and diving has helped me breathe slowly again. It completely calms me down. When you are underwater, you can't do anything else. You have no choice but to focus." Each dive, she observes, is a humbling reminder of how small we are in the grand scheme of things. PUSHES YOU OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE Raksha Rao, the other founder of Open Sky Circles, is a tech creator who got certified in 2017—before scuba made its way into the Instagram holiday checklists. But even now, the nerves never completely go away. 'Every time I'm about to jump in, I feel the jitters. But the moment I descend beneath the surface, it all melts away and I am greeted by the weightlessness, the deafening silence, the endless blue of the ocean and of course, the bursts of life – schools of fish darting past, vibrant corals swaying with the current. It's like entering a whole new world – so humbling, so powerful," she muses. One dive she remembers vividly is from the Maldives. 'We went to a manta ray cleaning station where tiny cleaner wrasse fish clean the rays by removing parasites. This is a symbiotic relationship which is crucial for the health of the manta rays. Divers get to experience this by sitting on the ocean floor and waiting. So, there was an instance when a manta ray glided right on top of me and it was extremely beautiful. These creatures are so massive yet so calm that it feels meditative just to watch them." For her, diving is the ideal wellness holiday. 'It pushes you out of your comfort zone, invites you into a whole new world, and gives you back something that your future self will thank you for," she adds. Akshay AS amidst a school of fishes in Murdeshwar ANCHORS YOU TO THE PRESENT MOMENT This sense of gratitude is something Akshay A S, a dive instructor with Dive India in Murdeshwar, knows intimately. Introduced to scuba diving in 2021, the 26-year-old has since completed over 2,000 dives and feels ocean anchors you to the present moment. 'The water makes you forget everything. You can just breathe in and out—and on tough days, I slip in early before the others arrive, just to hear the sound of the water." However, what truly moves him the most is watching first-timers transform. 'People who are scared of water come up smiling – that's the real high," he shares. Helping people meet the ocean fearlessly with trust and curiosity is also the driving force for dive master and cinematographer Anup Kat, founder of One Ocean One Love, which organises dives primarily in the Maldives. 'Most diving trips are about going deeper. It's about the human psychology behind it —getting someone who's scared to fall in love with the ocean. Once they get past the initial fear, I show them a shark or manta ray," he expresses. But it's more than just the sights. 'To be in the ocean, you have to drop your ego and surrender to nature. It's like a human relationship—you cannot fight –you pause, you adjust, you move with care. That's where the magic lies," he reflects. 'For me, it's 100% therapeutic. I feel like I'm giving back to the ocean." The mystic Sufi poet Rumi once said, 'You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop." Perhaps that is the quiet magic of diving. In the stillness below, we're reminded that we're part of something much bigger—and yet, deeply connected. Deepa Natarajan Lobo is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru. Topics You May Be Interested In
Hindustan Times
12 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
An All-Inclusive Resort for $900 a Night? I Put One to the Test
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico—The phone in my oceanview suite rang at 8:37 a.m. 'Good morning, ma'am, this is Alejandro to tell you your service is in the secret box.' The eggs Benedict, bacon and french toast I ordered were waiting in my private delivery closet, no hefty room-service bill to sign. The night before, a butler drew a bubble bath in the soaking tub on the balcony while I was dining at a French restaurant sans pricey check. It was my first taste of the all-inclusive resort life on steroids. Big U.S. hotel brands like Hyatt and Marriott are betting that affluent travelers will consider these one-price-covers-it-all vacations—often derided as cruises on land—if they promise better food, drinks, service, rooms and pools. The upgrades don't come cheap. Room rates can top $1,000 for two at top-of-the-line resorts. Marriott just opened its first all-inclusive W resort, in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, following last year's debut of its first Marriott-branded, all-inclusive in Cancún. There are even preliminary plans for an all-inclusive Ritz-Carlton. Hyatt is betting big on luxury all-inclusive resorts including Impression Moxché by Secrets in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Hyatt has become a major all-inclusive player in Mexico and the Caribbean thanks to big acquisitions, and now has 10 all-inclusive brands including Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Secrets and Breathless. The company opened its first all-inclusive in Aruba—Secrets Baby Beach—this summer. Of course, all-inclusive can mean many things, as I discovered during my cheapo $129 all-inclusive stay in Las Vegas in June. To size up this crop of newer entrants, I booked a short all-inclusive adventure in Mexico in late July. Tough duty, I know. But it was so hot and humid I didn't need the clothes steamer in the room. The wrinkles just melted away. I spent one night at the Marriott All-Inclusive Cancun ($500 for one, $650 for two) and two nights at Hyatt's top of the line Impression Moxché by Secrets an hour south of Cancún in Playa del Carmen ($900 per night for up to two people), home of the secret box and butler and Hyatt's investor day in 2023. Marriott was all ages; the Hyatt was adults only. Neither resort knew I was a reporter. The real deal All-inclusives and Cancún aren't usually my jam, but I love a sprawling beach resort for a laid-back vacation. Both resorts I tried included, well, just about everything promised. Multiple restaurant options, unlimited drinks, nonstop activities that weren't all cheesy (well, there was bingo and a casino night), spas and, at Secrets, pools galore, including infinity pools with great views and free cabanas. Marriott opened its first branded all-inclusive in Cancún last year. Guests have their choice of beach or infinity pool. The rooms were plush (at Secrets it was the biggest suite I've stayed in) with great views. I listened to pop music covers from my patio and sipped espresso martinis, frozen and straight up. I even danced at a pharmacy-turned-speakeasy at Secrets (before the youngsters arrived.) And I didn't spend a cent extra at either place, except for tips. In other words, these places are the real deal. And they offer real value if you want an upscale getaway where the toughest decision you make is where to eat and sunbathe, and you hate checking out with pages and pages of charges. (Looking at you, resorts with overpriced kids' smoothies, $20 frozen cocktails and $30 poolside burgers, fries extra.) At my swank Secrets tower, there was a nonstop spread of goodies at the lobby bar throughout the day if you wanted a pre-meal snack. On the menu: chia pudding, green juice and pastries in the morning, a charcuterie plate and irresistible chocolate bark later on. My favorite meal of the trip, possibly because of the beachside setting at sunset, was lobster risotto at the Mediterranean restaurant at the Marriott. At the Hyatt, I ate almost exclusively at the two restaurants reserved for guests staying in the high-end Impression tower. (It's nearly double the cost of staying in the other tower and also includes the butler, a private pool with complimentary cabanas and a signature spritz.) I ate my weight in homemade chips, guacamole and pico de gallo and enjoyed the shrimp ceviche and mini lobster roll. A quibble or two Not that there weren't upsells, though nothing like I've seen on cruise ships. The Marriott's lobby had an 'elevated experiences information desk.' It offered romantic dinners on the beach and mescal tastings. Hyatt offered a seven-course tasting menu at its AAA Five Diamond restaurant for an extra $75 per person unless you were staying more than five days. Dreamy views from my oceanview suite at Impression Moxché by Secrets in Playa Del Carmen. But there were more than enough complimentary choices for every meal and snack plus free room service. There's a 24-hour outlet at the Marriott that doubles as the morning coffee and pastry shop and nighttime pizza go-to. There were things to critique. The daytime butler at Secrets wasn't at our beck and call all day except through WhatsApp and started at 9 a.m. not 7 as advertised. (Another guest from Illinois had the opposite experience; she said her butler was always around.) The fully stocked minibars weren't all they're cracked up to be. Just a few cans of beer, soda and grocery-store snacks. The morning grab-and-go spread in the lobby at Impression Moxché; a beachside filet and lobster risotto at Marriott All-Inclusive Cancun. I was particularly disappointed in the wine list at Impression by Secrets, a hotel-within-a-hotel that is ranked as high as Park Hyatt in Hyatt's loyalty program hierarchy. I opened the lunch menu on the first day to find every wine had a price tag. The upcharges weren't exorbitant but it felt like nickel and diming. What was free: house wine like you would find at your neighborhood happy hour. The Sauvignon Blanc from Chile wasn't bad, just not the quality I expected—and I'm no wine snob. These are, admittedly, first-world problems. And what I'll really remember are the rooms, the views, the pools and service, especially at Secrets. I don't know what kind of training employees receive, but almost every request was met with 'my pleasure,' 'a pleasure' or 'with pleasure.' Lost? An employee doesn't just talk but walks you there. They remember your name, even on a short stay. The best part: no sticker shock at check out. I got more than my (company's) money's worth. Call me an all-inclusive convert—with the right amount of pampering. Write to Dawn Gilbertson at An All-Inclusive Resort for $900 a Night? I Put One to the Test An All-Inclusive Resort for $900 a Night? I Put One to the Test An All-Inclusive Resort for $900 a Night? I Put One to the Test
