Tuesday, December 19, 2023
Two separate industrial actions will take place at Keflavik Airport. The strike may paralyse air traffic at this airport, as the Icelandic Air Traffic Controller Association (FIF) has announced.
According to a press release, the strikes were scheduled for Monday (December 18) and Wednesday (December 20), lasting six hours in total, between 05:00 and 11:00 Central European Time, Schengen Visa website reports.
During this time, there will be no flights in or out of Keflavik Airport except for Search and Rescue flights, ambulance flights, and flights operated by the Icelandic Coast Guard.
Talks on a new contract between The Icelandic Air Traffic Controller Association (FÍF) and The Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA) – on behalf of Isavia ANS, Isavia ohf. and Isavia Regional Airports – are still ongoing at The Office of the State Conciliation and Mediation Officer.
ISAVIA
The announcement has worried thousands of passengers as they can face disruptions and has raised concerns about the impact it will have on the country’s aviation industry.
The air traffic controllers in the country are also expected to go on strikes during Christmas time, with the timing of strikes being scheduled with the purpose of maximising disruption for the country’s flag carrier, Icelandair.
Air traffic controllers in Iceland, similarly to the rest of Europe, are protesting for better pay conditions. This will be the third round of strikes in five years as the contractual talks between the Icelandic Air Traffic Controller Association and the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise, representing Iceland’s main airport, Isavia, are ongoing.
These industrial actions are expected to impact thousands of passengers as the strikes at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) and Reykjavík Airport (RKV) that occurred two weeks ago left 13,000 upset regarding their flights.
Up to 23,000 further passengers could be affected if strikes planned for the week before Christmas, on Monday, December 18 and Wednesday, December 20, go ahead. The disruption, during which a busy holiday travel period lies, will be acutely felt in the island nation despite efforts to minimise it.
The strikes are also scheduled at a very unfavourable time, as another affected airline, budget carrier PLAY Airlines, noted.
However, Birgir Jónsson, CEO of PLAY Airlines, went on to reassure travellers that the situation is under control.
There will be some delays, but the network and connections will function, and their passengers will get to their destinations in time for the holiday. They want to ensure that the financial blow to PLAY is as small as possible, but more importantly, they strive to save Christmas for their passengers.
According to Travel Tomorrow, Jónsson said that the group had managed to shift their network’s connection bank away from the announced strike days, securing adjusted airport slots, modifying handling agent times, and changing crew schedules in an effort to have as few inconveniences during Christmas as possible.
An estimation by Icelandair revealed that financial losses to the airline would be between €5 and €7 million if the negotiation round fails once again.
In the meanwhile, travellers are advised to be cautious about their flights to Iceland. It is always recommended to purchase travel insurance, which protects from unexpected expenses, such as missed or delayed flights.
Tags: air traffic, airport, Iceland, Strike, travellers
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