Holidaymakers are being warned that flights across Europe are at risk of disruption from air traffic control strikes.
A trade union representing staff at Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, is threatening to take industrial action in a row over issues such as recruitment, management and rosters. The Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), which represents EU civil servants, wrote to Eurocontrol bosses saying industrial action will take place with just a five-day notice period, and could begin next week.
This means UK holidaymakers face major uncertainty over whether their summer getaway flights will be delayed or cancelled. The Times reported it was told by an aviation source that up to 12,600 flights across Europe could be disrupted every day during strike action.
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The dispute relates to Eurocontrol's network manager operations centre (NMOC), which plays a vital role in streamlining ATC operations across the continent. It validates all flight plans, checking more than 96,000 messages a day.
USB claimed the NMOC has a "25% staff shortage" and called for more workers to be recruited. It is also demanding a "fundamental change in management or manager behaviour" and a roster system that is "based on agreement and not unilaterally imposed".
Eurocontrol confirmed it had received the union's letter. It said in a statement: "No specific dates for industrial action have been announced. This was only a pre-warning. 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."
Air traffic control restrictions due to strikes, staff shortages and airspace closures related to the war in Ukraine are expected to be among the biggest problems facing airlines this summer. Eurocontrol recently warned that demand from airlines "might get close to capacity" for ATC in large parts of Europe, including London, Brussels and Madrid. Fridays and weekends are expected to be most at risk of disruption.
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