Poland may face flight cancellations for not following Air Traffic Controllers Agreement

The Polish authorities have failed to reach an agreement with air traffic controllers in a dispute over pay and other conditions.

Taking into account the current situation in Poland, the European authorities have foreseen large numbers of flights cancellations, 

According to Reports, the disruption, which will affect flights to and from Poland and those that pass through the latter’s airspace, could start next week, on May 1. 

This is only a day after the end of the notice period for air traffic controllers that decide to quit rather than agree on the new regulations.

A spokesperson has revealed that the main reason why some air traffic controllers have decided not to agree to the new working regulations is that they think that the new rules threaten safety. Nonetheless, talks are expected to resume during the day today, April 24.

Commenting on the matter, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation said that the Civil Aviation Authority of Poland would significantly cut the number of flights in the country’s airspace if no agreement is reached.

In addition, it has been noted that the two airports located in Warsaw were expected to handle an average of over 500 flights per day in May.

However, the controllers of the Polish air traffic have revealed that of the total number of controllers working in Warsaw (206), 180 of them have decided to resign rather than work in line with the new conditions.

The union explained that the cut in pay for air traffic controllers as well as the increase in the working hours is unacceptable.

Through a statement that was issued earlier this week, the union said that they are fighting for safety and for the return of a culture of work while emphasizing that an environment of trust is ‘built, not bought’.