Europe is bracing for potential travel chaos as air traffic controllers threaten to go on strike, jeopardizing hundreds of thousands of flights during the peak summer holiday period. Eurocontrol, the organization responsible for managing European airspace, is facing a dispute over pay, working hours, and staffing concerns, leading workers to announce their intention to walk out. It is estimated that up to 12,600 flights per day, around a third of the total journeys across the continent, could be delayed or canceled due to the industrial action.

“In a full-blown strike, 20 to 30% of flights would be at least delayed,” an industry source told the media. “They are big numbers,” the source added.

Efforts to reach an agreement through crisis talks are underway, but officials at Eurocontrol reportedly consider the strikes “inevitable,” with no contingency plan currently in place. The potential impact of the strikes is expected to be massive and highly disruptive, affecting travel to and from major destinations such as London, Barcelona, Brussels, Athens, Marseille, and Budapest.

The transport workers union Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB) has called for the immediate hiring of additional controllers to address the current 25% staffing shortfall at Eurocontrol, equivalent to 40 workers. The USB stated that their demands are lawful, strong, and fair, highlighting the importance of adequately addressing the concerns for the benefit of the agency, stakeholders, and the flying public.

“As difficult as industrial action is on everyone, we see no other path forward than to inform you of our decision to progress [with strikes],” stated the letter from the Union.

If the strikes proceed, Greece, heavily reliant on summer tourism, would likely experience significant consequences. Millions of tourists with bookings in Greece may face rescheduled or canceled flights, posing a threat to the country’s hopes of achieving record travel receipts this year. The Bank of Greece has already reported a notable increase in travel receipts for the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year, suggesting a positive trend that could be impacted by the potential disruption caused by the strikes.