Poland’s government is preparing for massive flight disruptions starting May 1, 2022 as the country’s air traffic controllers have threatened to carry out a mass resignation due to a labor dispute.
Based on reports from local news, Poland’s Air Navigation Services Agency (PANSA) said that Warsaw flight controlers refuse to sign new rules calling for top pay levels of 45,000 złoty ($10,100) a month.
Due to the imminent threat of flight controlers leaving their jobs and positions, the government said it will limit the operating hours of Warsaw’s two airports.
The first will be Warsaw Chopin (WAW), Poland’s largest airport, and the smaller Modlin airport (WMI) to the north of the city that serves Ryanair, operate only between 0930 and 1700, which will lead to the suspension of about 300 flights a day.
“This is a narrow professional group which earns a lot in Warsaw and I think they could compromise here and come to an agreement,” Poland’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said to Politico
He also added that they have “some of the best work conditions in Europe”, pointing out that they work only 30-hour weeks.
The flight cuts are expected to cause massive flight disruptions in Europe, as airspace is already currently restricted due to the war in Ukraine.