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EU Flight Controller Strikes In Planning May Affect UK Flights

July 10th 2023
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Announcements have been made over the past weekend surrounding new plans for EU flight controller strikes that will affect the progress of UK flights over the summer.  

Reports have stated a huge potential impact on UK flights across the season as many delays and cancellations are expected to take place in light of the planned flight controller strikes that have already been actioned. Though not all of the plans have had all details confirmed yet, many are already planning how to handle the disruption of regular service. 

According to data published on Friday the 7th of July, there are already 186,220 flights scheduled to take off from UK airports across July and August before the strike actions are factored in. These numbers are up 124% on the same summer period in 2021 and 12% on 2022.  

A significant number of these flights could be affected, sources state, as staff at Eurocontrol, the EU air traffic management organisation, are ready to announce the dates for flight controller strikes to take place concerning staffing and pay issues. It has been estimated that up to 12,600 flights per day could be affected. 

The walkout has been planned specifically to disrupt the busy summer period, with staff walking that often handle over 30,000 flights daily without sufficient staffing or pay. At present, no plans to resume these operations have been announced.  

Eurocontrol stated that they are currently still talking to unions and are “hopeful of a positive outcome” on their discussions. The Director General, Raul Medina Caballero, told travellers to be prepared for a challenging summer due to the coming strikes.  

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