EUROCONTROL publishes study on ATC strike impacts

13 December 2023: ATC strikes in Europe in 2023 have caused approximately 3 million minutes of delay at Network level to date. EUROCONTROL has published a study, under the European Commission’s guidance, assessing the impact of the last five years of ATM strikes in Europe.

ATC strikes in Europe significantly impact regional aircraft operators, with flight cancellations, delays, reroutings, increased operational costs, fuel burn, emissions and reduced overall efficiency. They disrupt schedules, cause huge inconvenience to the passengers and often result in significant financial losses due to the scale, duration and volatile natures of the disruptions caused.

Last month, EUROCONTROL published a study, carried out at the request of and under the guidance of the DG MOVE, drilling into the detail of these impacts.

Covering the period 2018-2022, the study looks into the cost impact of these strike (based on cost of delay, cost of cancellation and cost per additional mileage flown) using EUROCONTROL standard economic analysis inputs and the additional CO2 emissions as a direct result of these strikes. This also broken down by State, with France, Italy and Greece under the microscope.

It also briefly touches on the exceptional start to 2023 that saw 32 days of strike action in France.

The paper also digs into the various mitigations and the feasibility of these different scenarios including different minimum strike notice periods alongside the protection of overflights as is commonplace in some EU States today.

ERA fully recognises the right to strike as laid down in the EU charter on fundamental rights. However, the impacts of these actions should be predictable for airlines and customers alike, enabling early planning and mitigation measures to be put in place, as well as keeping the environmental impact as low as possible.  

To access the study, please click here.