Holidaymakers in the North East have been left stranded after flights between Newcastle and Malaga were cancelled today. The Ryanair flights to and from the Spanish resort were grounded after industrial action over pay, conditions and potential job losses by Air Traffic Controllers in France. It affected flights across Europe and has led to accusations that those taking action were 'holding Europe's skies to ransom'. It is the fourth time in six week and the 44th time since 2009 French air traffic controllers have gone on strike. Ryanair and other European airlines are now calling on the EU to introduce two measures to combat the striking workers. They want a law change to require French ATC unions to engage in binding arbitration instead of strikes to resolve their claims, as well as allowing Europe's other air traffic controllers to operate 'overflights' of France while ATC unions are on strike.