Cabin crew members at Air France said they would continue with a strike that brought misery to thousands of travelers at Paris airports over the weekend.

The company said it expected "major costs" as a result of the dispute.

"The cost is very important," Air France Chief Operating Officer Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told French TV station LCI. He added there were no precise estimates at the moment for what the financial cost might be.

A joint statement by various trade unions representing more than 60 percent of Air France flight attendants said the strike would go on until midnight, local time, on October 29.

The strike began on October 25. The dispute centers on renegotiating a framework agreement on salaries and working conditions that is due to expire at the end of 2007.

The situation became serious enough for the French government to intervene over the weekend.

Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau issued a statement demanding a speedy resolution to the affair and Bussereau himself went to Paris Orly Airport on Sunday to assess the situation.

"I have come to see how the passengers are getting on," he told TV reporters at the airport.

The strike has affected between 30 and 40 percent of flights, causing major disruption at airports with many French families due to leave for school half-term holidays.

Talks between management and trade union members broke down over the weekend. Air France reiterated it was open to further negotiations and the airline has warned that the strike could have an adverse financial impact on the company.

Air France said it operated around 65 percent of flights on Saturday. It expected to operate more than 60 percent of flights on Sunday and at least 70 percent of flights on Monday.

It said it had run 71 percent of flights on Sunday morning.

Air France is part of the Air France KLM group, the world's largest airline by revenue. The French state holds around 18 percent of the Air France KLM share capital.