Earlier this week I had mentioned the potential for crippling ATC strikes throughout Europe that would have wreaked havoc with Air Travel in June and July. Fortunately, cooler heads have prevailed since that announcement and it now appears that the threat of strikes has been greatly diminished.
In an announcement today, several unions in Europe who represent ATC employees have indicated their willingness to continue negotiations. At the heart of the matter is the EU proposal that seeks to centralize Air Traffic Control under one EU umbrella rather than each country having its own ATC system. ATC workers fear that such a consolidation would lead to widespread job loss, which would most likely be the case should centralization take place.
For now, it seems that summer travel should be ‘safe’ since the LH pilot’s union has agreed to arbitration and it looks like ATC strike threat has abated as well.
Welcomed news just in time for my trip to the Austrian Grand Prix later in June!
