The industrial action is set to cause problems for thousands of travellers whose route would normally pass through French airspace.

The action is due to begin at 6pm (UK time) today (8 May) and end around 5am on Friday (10 May), with engineers and controllers working for France’s national air-navigation provider DSNA stopping work completely during this period.

The strikes form part of a wider national protest by public servants against President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reform working conditions.

Representatives from DSNA have said that Paris Orly, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse airports are likely to be most affected, and airlines have been instructed to reduce the number of flights going to and from these airports by 30 per cent.

Several airlines, including Easyjet, Ryanair and British Airways, have already announced flight cancellations and offered customers refunds or free of charge transfers to different flights.

Air France customers may have more luck, however, as Charles de Gaulle Airport, the airline’s main hub, is less likely to be disrupted by the strike action.

French authorities have insisted upon a minimum service level of 50 per cent of overflights, with Switzerland opening up additional airspace to allow flights to reroute and avoid French airspace.

It is anticipated, however, that this will still cause a build-up of delays.

During third-party strikes, airlines are not liable to pay compensation to customers, but they are obliged to provide meals, accommodation and alternative flights to customers whose travel is disrupted.