Some flights between Ireland and France are being delayed because of a go-slow by airport workers in France.
One flight with pilgrims to Lourdes which was to have departed at 10am this morning is departing this afternoon, having been delayed by five hours.
Tens of thousands of French workers have taken to the streets as unions mounted a one-day protest over pension reforms.
Major queues of trucks built up at the Calais Channel port because of a separate strike against dock privatisation plans.
Rail workers led the national stoppage, with only half of trains running across France, as public sector workers join some 80 protest rallies planned across the country.
But expected rush-hour chaos was limited in Paris and other major cities, as the unions stuck to new rules on running a minimum service during strikes.
Unions hoped to draw half a million people into the streets, with six in ten French people saying they support the movement, according to a poll in Liberation newspaper.
Between 40,000 protestors, according to police, and 150,000 according to unions turned for early protests in Nantes, Rouen and Le Havre in the west, Grenoble and Marseille the southeast and Clermont-Ferrand in the centre.
Factory workers and dockers angry at privatisation plans joined the marches in several cities including Marseille.
Walkouts were reported across the French public sector, with 10-20% of postal, utilities and telecoms employees joining the strike.
And morning radio slots were replaced by music on public stations France Inter and Radio France Internationale.
France's five main unions are leading protests against plans to increase the number of years worked to draw a full pension, from 40 to 41, starting next year.
