Air traffic control strike: Europe summer flights at risk

Thousands of flights to and from Europe this summer are at risk of being delayed or cancelled after air traffic controllers said they would strike.

Controllers at Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management body, revealed that they would walk out over the peak summer period after talks over staffing, rosters and pay broke down.

The body is expecting to handle about 33,000 flights a day for the next eight weeks, rising to more than 34,000 on Fridays in July and August.

Under European rules, pilots operating every flight in or over Europe must submit a flight plan to Eurocontrol’s operations centre, which then validates it and ensures no two planes fly with the same “call-sign”, a unique identifier, in the region, The Times reports.

They add: “It acts as the “area network manager”, ensuring that flights can cross borders and pass between air traffic control centres without problems. It also issues landing and departure slots at some European airports.”

Eurocontrol is expected to handle more than 30,000 flights a day during the July and August period (Image: PA)

As a result of this announcement many Brits face an uncertain wait for when dates are revealed for the walkouts and if it will impact their holiday.

Strikes could be ‘massive and extremely disruptive’

A senior airline source told The Times the impact of the strikes could be “massive and extremely disruptive”.

They added that there was seemingly little contingency planning for an all-out strike by controllers.

Another industry source said it could lead to delays or cancellations of up to 12,600 flights across Europe every day. 

“In a full-blown strike, 20 to 30 per cent of flights would be at least delayed,” they added.

In a letter to managers, the Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), which represents EU civil servants, said Eurocontrol workers wanted the immediate hiring of 20 more controllers to make up for a shortfall in staff.

The letter, seen by The Times, said: “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].

“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.”