Passengers grounded over air traffic row

AT LEAST nine planeloads of passengers faced delays at Cork Airport this morning because an air traffic controller due to work last night could not get to Cork in time to renew her regional licence as she was working her shifts at Dublin Airport.

In what is being seen as another element of the air traffic controllers’ dispute with the Irish Aviation Authority over lack of numbers, the airport yesterday issued a statement saying there would be no flights between midnight last night and 8am today.

It said any passengers due to fly on the nine services as well as the freight services between those times should contact their airline for further information.

The directly affected flights were from Cork to Amsterdam, Munich, Dublin, Belfast, London and Prague and from the British East Midlands and Stansted to Cork.

In addition there was the potential for other flights during today to be affected as a knock-on effect from this morning.

IMPACT trade union which represents the air traffic controllers said the airport had to be shut because of a shortage of numbers.

It said the shortage meant a number of controllers were having to divide their time between Cork and Dublin airports. It said last night the controller who had been due to work was unable to get down from Dublin to renew her licence to operate from Cork Airport because she was too busy working in Dublin. Those licences have to be renewed every 90 days and it was only realised yesterday that hers had passed its renewal date.

IMPACT says the situation in Cork is symptomatic of the wider problem of a lack of controllers.

It is due to meet the Irish Aviation Authority in the Labour Relations Commission to debate the issue and, if there is no resolution the union, has threatened work stoppages at the country’s three main airports within weeks.

Last night the Irish Aviation Authority said what was happening at Cork was unofficial action orchestrated by the air traffic controllers.

“This present unofficial disruption is orchestrated by controllers to ensure the authority is short of staff and for safety reasons theauthority has to restrict traffic and reduce or close services. Air traffic controllers are demanding significantly enhanced extra attendance payments and changes to roster attendances both of which are included in a package of issues under discussion as part of a process at the Labour Relations Commission.”

Despite the number of flights affected, Aer Arann said it expected its two flights from Cork to Dublin and Belfast, both at 7am, not to be too adversely affected. “Aer Arann is planning to run flights as normal,” said Colin Lewis the airline’s head of sales.