Flight Disruption Expected Due to General Strike Action
September 28th, 2010
Passengers flying to Spain tomorrow face significant disruption as a result of the general strike, called following austerity measures by the country’s socialist government.
The strike is likely to affect thousands of flights in and out of Spain, with air traffic controllers operating a significantly reduced service.
Ryanair says it will run a full schedule of flights because the air traffic controllers have to provide a minimum level of service and must accept some international flights. However, the airline will only accept passengers with hand luggage as there will be limited ground-handling facilities.
Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said passengers who insisted on having to travel with bags should book a flight for another day or be refunded the cost of checking in their bag if they insist on flying tomorrow.
He warned passengers flying tomorrow that there could be considerable delays. “It is likely that air traffic controllers will work to rule. The only way to avoid the widespread disruption that happens is to ask passengers to travel with hand luggage only.”
Mr McNamara said Ryanair was forced to cancel more than 250 flights due to a national strike in France last week over attempts to change the pension laws there.
He recommended that European governments should act like Ronald Reagan did in confronting air traffic controllers in 1981. The then US president sacked the air traffic controllers and replaced them with outside staff.
Mr McNamara said air traffic control was an essential service and air traffic controllers should not be allowed to strike or hold passengers to ransom “in any way”.
“National ATC providers should be deregulated and allowed to compete with each other in a system that will allow one country to manage the air space of neighbouring countries to prevent flights being cancelled or delayed during industrial action,” he said.
There is likely to be more disruption for air passengers as French unions have announced two new one-day stoppages on October 2nd and October 12th in protest at the government’s pension reform plan. Last week thousands of flights were cancelled as a result of similar strike. www.irishtimes.com
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