Ryanair has called on the Spanish government to intervene with military help if the country’s air traffic control workers go on strike.
Spanish air traffic controllers are threatening a strike in mid August which could affect hundreds of thousands of UK passengers.
If it goes ahead, the strike is expected to start on August 18 and last for three days, although the date and duration have not yet been confirmed.
More than 2,000 controllers have voted to strike in protest at government plans to change their working hours and reduce overtime pay.
The Spanish government has said in the event of a strike it will seek to maintain ‘minimum services’.
Ryanair says the threatened strike and recent action by French ATC workers highlight the need for a standardised Europe-wide air traffic control.
A spokesperson said: “Air transport and tourism are vital to the Spanish economy and the Government must ensure that Spanish airports remain open during strikes by calling on the military to provide air traffic control services … this happens in many other European countries when strikes threaten air transport.
“[The threatened] Spanish air traffic control strikes and the industrial action taken by French ATC workers in recent weeks highlight the urgent need for a standardised Europe-wide system of air traffic control to ensure that striking air traffic controllers in one country do not hold the travelling public to ransom.
"Under a standardised Europe-wide air traffic control system, strikes would be covered by controllers in other countries – ensuring that passengers are not disrupted by the strike action of very well-paid ATC workers.”
by Debbie Ward
