Thousands of flights in Europe could be delayed or cancelled this summer as air traffic controllers have reportedly threatened to strike.
According to The Times, dates of the first wave of walkouts could be announced on Monday, after workers at Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, said they would walk out as talks over pay and rotas broke down.
Up to 12,600 flights per day could be delayed or cancelled across Europe, according to an industry source quoted by the paper.
About 20 to 30% of flights would be “at least delayed” in a “full-blown” strike, the source told the Times.
In a letter seen by the newspaper, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), which represents EU civil servants, said it had no choice but to go ahead with strikes.
The letter said their case was “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”.
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Eurocontrol said in a statement to Travel Weekly that USB has announced a period of six months during which industrial action could take place, adding: “No specific dates for industrial action have been announced; this was only a pre-warning.”
It continued: “Eurocontrol is in ongoing dialogue with USB and all the other trade unions to discuss the situation and we are hopeful of a positive outcome. USB have confirmed their intention to continue the dialogue.
“Eurocontrol is committed to social dialogue and actively engages with all social partners. As no notice of specific industrial action has been received, it is premature to speculate on any potential impact.”
Last month, Travel Weekly reported that strikes by air traffic controllers throughout the summer were more of a concern than disruption caused by IT problems.
Following the failure of all 270 UK e-gates over the bank holiday weekend at the end of May, a leading airline source told Travel Weekly: “We’ve been discussing aviation resilience consistently. We’re much more worried about ATC strikes through the summer.”
In May, Iata warned that labour unrest, particularly in France, was a “cause for concern” for the summer season.
Eurocontrol data about the impact of French strikes earlier this year showed that cancellations can spike by over a third.
Iata said governments should have effective contingency plans in place so that essential services such as air traffic control maintain minimum service levels and do not disrupt the “hard-earned vacations of those traveling or put at risk the livelihoods of those in the travel and tourism sectors”.
Back in January Eurocontrol said: “2023 will be a watershed year for the network, requiring all actors to pull out all the stops to keep delays down against a backdrop of ongoing airspace issues triggered by the Ukraine war, extra aircraft in the system, possible industrial action, ongoing staffing challenges, [air traffic control] system changes and the return of demand from China and the Far East.”
It added: “While staffing issues may progressively be solved, the risk of industrial action in response to economic conditions is rising.”