Air traffic in slowdown chaos

Significant delays in arrivals and departures were caused by a sudden slowdown called by air traffic controllers at Athens airport on Friday.

Controllers reduced the speed at which they handled aircraft movements in response to the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) alleged intention to increase their working week to 40 hours.

Sources close to the strikers speaking to Kathimerini accused the CAA administration of "unilaterally planning to increase the working week to 40 hours, a change that would lead to the exhaustion of air traffic controllers." According to the same sources, although recruitment is under way to increase the number of controllers, at least until the new workers are trained, the air traffic management service will remain understaffed, "with controllers unable to work longer hours."

However, the Civil Aviation Authority has a different take on...