AEA strongly condemns strike actions of Air Traffic Controllers

Once more passengers and European airlines will be seriously affected this week by strike actions from Air Traffic Controllers and Air Traffic Management in several countries.  The Association of European Airlines (AEA) strongly condemns these unjustified actions which highjack a transport sector vital for Europe’s economy and mobility.

Four months after a previous strike threat and after several wildcat actions throughout the year 2013, European airlines are again exposed to serious disruption risks created by the air traffic infrastructure providers. Both the Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination (ATCEUC) and the European Air Transport Workers’ federation have announced further work interruptions for tomorrow and Thursday. In some countries Air Traffic Controllers have decided not to follow the call for action, however in other EU Member States service interruptions are planned.  Reason for the social unrest is a pure personal agenda related to the long overdue Single European Sky legislation on which amendments are discussed this week in the EU Parliament.

As it stands today, consequences will be felt by passengers, airlines, freight forwarders and express courier services. The Association of European Airlines says that there can be no justification for these actions. “Europe’s airlines and passengers have suffered at the hands of ATC providers for too long now”, says AEA’s CEO Athar Husain Khan. “Not only are these providers seriously delaying the implementation of the environmental friendly Single European Sky project which is urgently needed to increase the efficiency and  capacity of the air traffic system, now they also attack all their clients with unjustified strikes. This is unacceptable.”