Airlines See Strike Actions this Summer, Cut Flights

Budget carrier easyJet said this week that it was slashing its peak season flights out of Gatwick Airport by 1,700 citing limited airspace over Europe and flight control issues, adding to fears that the summer travel season ahead will be severely impacted.

EasyJet is just one of the airlines forced to cut flights. Others so far include Ryanair, Air France-KLM and Deutsche Lufthansa which also cited news of upcoming strikes by air traffic controllers.

The news comes after one of Eurocontrol’s trade unions, Union Syndicale Bruxelles, announced a “period of six months during which industrial action could take place” and could affect its Network Manager Operations Centre, which handles more than 10 million flights a year.

In response to the news, Eurocontrol (European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation) said it was in ongoing dialogue with all trade unions to discuss the situation and we are hopeful of a positive outcome”.

“Eurocontrol is committed to social dialogue and actively engages with all social partners. As no notice of specific industrial action has been received, it is premature to speculate on any potential impact,” said the international organization, which manages flights over Europe.

Airlines UK is urging Eurocontrol “to reach agreement as soon as possible” while Airlines for Europe (A4E) said the possible impact of strike action “remains to be determined”.

Industry experts are acknowledging that lack of air traffic controllers and staff shortages are already impacting travel.