Cypriot air chaos ends with a deal
NICOSIA (AFP) – A crippling walkout by Cyprus airport employees that left hundreds of tourists stranded ended on Saturday after workers received assurances over their future. Staff angered at a government decision to allow a French-led private consortium to run Larnaca and Paphos airports refused to load or unload baggage on Friday, frustrating the holiday plans of hundreds of travelers. Civil aviation officials said over 80 flights had been affected. But the government reached a deal with unions overnight amid concerns that the island’s vital tourism sector would grind to a disastrous halt. The deal hinged on a government pledge on workers’ job security when the Hermes consortium begins operating the airports later this year.