Euro football chaos

Fans travelling to and from and within France could be hit by French air traffic control strikes during the Euro 2016 soccer competition. The unionised controllers called off their latest three-day strike on Friday but that is not to say they will not be imposed again at short notice.

For virtually as long as anyone can remember, a “single European sky” has been mooted, easily organised from a technical point of view, but very much subject to union and governmental interference. 

Headed by IATA, airlines are lobbying the European Union to push through reforms that would allow neighbouring states to carry out air traffic control over countries that are affected by industrial disputes. This is a highly-controversial political remedy, the alternative being rerouting flights, adding to flight time and consequently with schedules disrupted.

Airlines for Europe, which represents BA, easyJet and Ryanair among others, is in  talks with the EU about devising a plan to reduce the disruption. Aage Duenhaupt, the group’s spokesman, said: “We could in the future control parts of European airspace from other countries or central bases, not from an affected country.”

www.iata.org

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