Thousands of passengers were stranded at Italian airports

Some 22,000 passengers were affected by the eight-hour stoppage over pay and conditions which began at 0900 GMT.

State-controlled Alitalia said 334 of its international and domestic flights had to be cancelled.

The walkout also forced flight cancellations by the UK, Dutch, German, Austrian, Spanish and Greek national carriers, and low-cost airlines.

The striking air traffic controllers said they had been forced to work without a contract for two years.

The strike ended at 1800 local time (1700 GMT).

Stranded

Worst-affected by the stoppage was Alitalia, followed by the German carrier Lufthansa.

• Alitalia: 166 national, 162 international and six intercontinental of its flights were grounded.

• Lufthansa: cancelled 54 flights between Germany and Italy.

• Austrian Airlines: cancelled 10 of its flights.

• British Airways: cancelled 17 return flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham to a number of Italian destinations.

• Ryanair: cancelled more than 38 flights.

• EasyJet: cancelled eight flights.

• Iberia, KLM, Virgin Express and Olympic Airways also cancelled some flights.

Thousands of passengers - mainly in Italy - were stranded at airports as airlines were struggling to offer alternative flights.

"I had called yesterday to check my flight to Manchester hadn't been cancelled, so I was calm," said passenger Margherita Acampora at Rome's Fiumicino airport.

"But then I arrived at the airport and got the terrible news that the plane wasn't leaving. I'm queuing up praying I can leave tomorrow."

More on Friday

Alitalia flights are due to be disrupted again on 19 January when staff walk out over a rescue plan involving the loss of 2,700 jobs, according to Reuters news agency.

Alitalia is forecasting an operating loss of more than 400 million euros this year, says the plan will help it back into profit in 2005, enabling it to join a merger of Air France and KLM.

Local transport in Italy is also expected to be in chaos on Friday as drivers of buses, trams and underground trains resume pre-Christmas action, despite a new pay deal.