French ATC strike and German ground handling walkout

Extensive strikes are expected to cause widespread disruption tomorrow (April 27, 2016). Two weeks after the last Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) walkout in Belgium, French ATC will strike for the third time in a month for at least 35 hours from tomorrow evening. The latest ATC strikes in Greece, Italy, Belgium and France in March and April caused over 2,000 cancellations according to Airlines for Europe. In addition, tomorrow passengers travelling to and from Germany’s six airports tomorrow have been warned of “extensive” cancellations due to strike action by ground staff (see story here) The public sector Verdi workers union has called for strikes from ground handling, passenger checks and airport fire services at Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf, Cologne/Bonn, Dortmund and Hannover airports on April 27. “During 2016 ATC strikes in Greece, Italy, Belgium and now again in France accumulated already up to a full week of disruption. Repeated and disproportionate industrial action by ATC unions just means victimising passengers and weakening European airlines. We will not stop to call on the European Commission and the governments to act immediately to defend consumers”, said Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director of A4E. Last year, A4E says that more than 10,000 flights operated by A4E members were affected by 28 days of ATC strikes in Europe. To see more and comment, forum.