Strike by Polish air traffic controllers could disrupt European air traffic

Following a disagreement with air traffic controllers over wages and working conditions, the Polish government has decided to significantly reduce the number of flights allowed in the Warsaw area, starting May 1.

A local social conflict that could have repercussions on all European air traffic, causing cascading flight cancellations.

Read alsoAir transport sees the end of the tunnel despite the war in Ukraine

Air traffic controllers based in Warsaw manage about 3,000 flights a day, 700 of which fly over Polish airspace.

Of these, around 300 will have to be diverted due to the expected shortage of controllers, Eurocontrol, the EU's airspace manager, warned in a statement relayed by Politico.

The agency is currently discussing with its partners how to manage these flights.

This situation is in addition to the disturbances created by the war in Ukraine, which led to the closure of Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian skies.

"

", warned Eurocontrol.

Some preferred international destinations

The Polish government's order, published overnight from Monday to Tuesday, still favors certain international destinations, including Paris, London, New York, Frankfurt, Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, ​​Amsterdam and Dubai.

Concretely, this indicates that from Sunday until the end of May, landings and departures, to and from Chopin and Modlin airports in Warsaw, can only be carried out between 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m., "

" and that the declared flight capacity in the area is not exceeded.

Read alsoGiant airport project in Poland: Warsaw persists and signs

Following a disagreement between the National Air Navigation Services Agency and air traffic controllers over pay and safety conditions, up to 80% of air traffic control engineers in the Warsaw region have threatened to resign from May 1.

Several negotiating sessions ended in failure.

SEE ALSO

- Poland would like to exclude military spending from the calculation of the budget deficit