Four flights from Spain to Malta were cancelled today as industrial action by air traffic controllers threw air transport to the Iberian peninsula into chaos.

Air Malta was forced to cancel flights from Barcelona and Madrid while Ryanair cancelled flights to Malta from Valencia and Seville.

The cancellations were bad news to hoteliers as well as Maltese travellers after cancellations, earlier this week, of flights from Scotland and London Gatwick because of bad weather. Gatwick and Edinburgh airports have now reopened, but some passengers due to have flown from Scotland earlier this week are still struggling to find airline seats.

In Spain, air traffic controllers staged a mass 'sick day' in protest over austerity measures but as military controllers took over emergency services, the government invoked special emergency powers and warned that the controllers' action threatened national security.

By this afternoon, two-thirds of air controllers were back at their seats but officials in various Spanish airports said the damage had been done and it would take at least a day for normal air services to resume.

Spanish flag carrier Iberia and others airlines including Air France, KLM, Thai Airways, Spanair, Ryanair and Easyjet cancelled operations for the rest of today.