Summer time holidays risk as air site visitors management strike set to hit European flights
T
housands of European summer holidays might be in danger this summer season after air site visitors management revealed their intention to strike.
Dates might be introduced as early as Monday after employees at Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, mentioned they might stroll out over pay and rota points, The Times reported on Friday.
It may see as much as 12,600 flights per day delayed or cancelled throughout Europe, a supply instructed the publication – almost a 3rd of all European flights. It may additionally coincide with the college summer season holidays.
“In a full-blown strike, 20 to 30 per cent of flights would be at least delayed,” the supply mentioned. “They are big numbers.”
Holidaymakers have beforehand been warned by the company of a “challenging” summer season of flight disruptions owing to “overloaded” air site visitors management.
Eurocontrol is anticipating to deal with about 33,000 flights a day for the subsequent two months, rising to greater than 34,000 on Fridays in July and August.
This is a rise of seven% in contrast with the identical interval final 12 months.
Under European guidelines, pilots working flights in or over Europe should submit a flight plan to Eurocontrol’s operations centre, to verify no two planes fly with the identical “call-sign” are flying within the area.
A letter seen by The Times by the Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), which represents EU civil servants, mentioned that its calls for included the quick hiring of 20 extra controllers.
“As difficult as industrial action is on everyone, we see no other path forward than to inform you of our decision to progress [with strikes],” it states.
“Our case is lawful, strong and fair, and in the interest of the agency, the network manager, our stakeholders (operational and member states), the flying public at large and ourselves as loyal employees of the agency.”
Stewart Wingate, the chief govt of Gatwick Airport, mentioned that strikes at European air site visitors management have been the most important problem operationally for airways this summer season.
But Raúl Medina, Director General of Eurocontrol, beforehand mentioned the business was higher ready than final 12 months.
Speaking at a convention in Barcelona, he mentioned: “Recent industrial action caused many delays across the network.
“We can manage situations like that in quieter periods, but if it happens in the middle of summer, it will be much more challenging. We need to be prepared.”