ACI Europe has released a statement this morning expressing outrage at the decision by Belgian air traffic controllers to call a wildcat strike, just 10 days after Brussels Airport was reopened after suffering a terrible terrorist incident.

 

Brussels Airport has subsequently reported today that several flights have now been cancelled and passengers need to check whether their flights are operating or not.

 

Not surprisingly, emotions are running high so close to the recent tragedy. This has now led to Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe (shown above) not unreasonably releasing a statement this morning saying ‘there are no words to describe how thoughtless, irresponsible and damaging this industrial action is’.

 

 

Jankovec spoke for many when he said: “Shutting down the Belgian skies just 10 days after the reopening of Brussels Airport, following the terrorist attacks of 22 March shows a total lack of decency and respect for the airport and the various aviation partners based there who are all working hard to restore air connectivity.

 

“Considering what is at stake, this effectively amounts to intentional damage to the Belgian people, at a time when the country is united in its grief and its resolve.”

 

He added: “What the Belgian air traffic controllers are doing isn’t so much adding insult to injury, as injury to injury. And there is no way that they cannot be conscious of that.

 

“We are calling on the Belgian Government to immediately pursue all available options to ensure that air traffic control services are restored as quickly as possible. This latest episode in the ongoing saga of ATC strikes is yet another reminder of how much air traffic management in Europe needs reform.”