Another summer and yet again we are at the mercy of air-traffic controllers. Not just the French, who seem to be constantly on strike, but also air-traffic controllers in Barcelona, although it would appear that talks are moving in the direction of industrial action being averted.
But never mind, a small group of air-traffic controllers in their tower in Marseille can and do cause a massive amount of disruption. And, as one leading local politician has pointed out, here in Spain air-traffic controllers have to give sufficient notice of any strike action so alternative arrangements can be made to minimise the knock-on effect. Not so in France; they can down tools, or rather joy sticks, tout de suite.
The word is out that air passengers from the UK and northern Europe will face flight chaos this summer because of the French, not to mention the Spanish once they have made up their minds, and according to local travel agents and hoteliers, people are cancelling their holidays because they simply can't be arsed with all the potential airport chaos that is going to be caused.
I thought the whole idea of the European Union was that every member complied with the same laws. Obviously not, and it makes no difference to British tourists coming to Spain if the UK is in the EU or not, the French will continue to ruin people's holiday plans.
Can't some of the big bananas in Brussels, straight ones of cause, sort this out?