Article from BTNews 28 MAY 2018
New ATC strike hits thousands
The pressure group Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) last week intensified its campaign calling on the EU to keep Europe’s skies open after another damaging strike by French air traffic controllers.
The stoppage, from 17:00 on Monday until 04:00 on Wednesday, led to hundreds of flights being cancelled and thousands of passengers delayed. A4E said just five months into 2018, the industry was on track to see more such action than in the whole of 2017.
The 2018 actions had impacted more than half a million travellers through cancellations alone – most without the possibility of passengers being able to be notified in advance.
A4E noted its figures related only to A4E member carriers, which represent about 70% of the EU market. The total impact of the strikes in the EU was therefore higher.
“Since 2010, there have been 275 air traffic control strikes in France alone, representing nearly two-thirds of all ATC strikes in Europe,” the group added.
“A4E is calling on policymakers to better defend the rights of EU citizens as airline passengers, namely their right to move freely throughout Europe.”
The group has launched a petition to demand change and also has a dedicated call-to-action site.
https://a4e.eu/call-for-action
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