A strike by air traffic controllers in Paris has caused flight delays and cancellations on Monday, the first day of a planned five-day protest.

France's civil aviation authority says about half of the flights at Orly airport were cancelled, though only domestic flights were called off entirely. International flights and trips to France's overseas territories took off anyway, with an average delay of about one hour.

Stranded passengers expressed their frustration at Orly airport.

We are a bit fed up, especially as they are always on strike during the holiday season, at the beginning of the holidays, so people are stuck. I don't really know why they are striking.

The General Confederation of Labor union, which plans to continue the strike through Friday, is protesting a reorganization plan that would bring all of Paris' air traffic controllers to work at a single site.