Ryanair and easyJet passengers flying to and from Essex airports are being affected by a French air traffic control strike today.

French civil aviation authority DGAC warned that domestic traffic would be “severely disrupted” today.

Some flights arriving and departing at Stansted today have been cancelled or delayed and others arriving at Southend are facing delays.

Travellers have been advised to postpone their trips if possible.

Ryanair revealed yesterday it had been forced to cancel 420 flights, disrupting 80,000 passengers, mainly overflying France.

An airline spokesman: "Ryanair sincerely apologises to its customers for these unnecessary disruptions that this French ATC strike will cause them."

EasyJet said, like all airlines operating to and from French airports, it expected disruptions and had been requested by the DGAC to proceed with cancellations.

A spokesman said: "If you are due to travel to or from France on the 16 September please check the status of your flight on Flight Tracker, which is available online or through the easyJet app.

"Although this is outside of our control, we’d like to apologise for any disruption to your travel plans as a result of this strike action and thank you for your understanding."

France’s main union of air traffic controllers, the SNCTA, called the one-day strike to demand higher pay amid soaring inflation and to call for more staff to be hired in the coming years.