Air Traffic Controllers Call off Strike after Grounding Flight Operations in West, Central Africa

Chinedu Eze

Air traffic controllers under the aegis of the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) yesterday suspended their strike after the intervention of the President of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Alassane Ouattara, who promised to meet their demands.

In a statement, the Union of Air Traffic Controllers’ Unions of ASECNA (USYCAA) said the strike has been put on hold for 10 days to allow for negotiations.
The union said more than 700 air traffic controllers joined the strike to demand better working and pay conditions.

“Air traffic services will be provided in all air spaces and airports managed by ASECNA from today (Saturday), September 24, 2022 at 1200 GMT,” the statement reads.

The strike was called off on the intervention of Côte d ‘Ivoire. The Prime Minister, Mr. Patrick Achi on the instruction of the President of Côte d’Ivoire,  Ouattara, made a firm promise to bring the concerns of the Air Traffic Controllers to the appropriate level.

A statement emanating from the negotiations with Côte d’Ivoire’s top government officials and other concerned authorities, stated that:  “Considering the negotiation session between the Executive Secretary General of USYCAA, the Minister of Transport of Senegal and the Director General of ASECNA, and the resulting conclusions, as well as the commitment of certain authorities of the various member countries of ASECNA;

“Considering the extent of the impact of the current strike movement on the economy of our States and the activities of air users confused by misleading press releases, given the level of responsibility that has always characterised the body of air traffic controllers air traffic, the Executive Board (BEU) of the Union of Air Traffic Controllers Unions of ASECNA (USYCAA) welcomes the historic mobilisation of Air Traffic Controllers in all ASECNA control centres for the defence of their interests and the rehabilitation of the prestige and nobility of their profession;

“The strike notice, reactivated on September 20, 2022, is suspended for a period of ten (10) days from this day Saturday, September 24, 2022., air traffic services will be provided in all airspaces and airports managed by ASECNA as of today, Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 12:00 UT. This new suspension is granted by the ASECNA air traffic controllers to once again give a chance to dialogue with a view to satisfying their eight (8) point claim platform.”

In the last 48 hours that ended on Saturday, flight operations were paralysed in mostly French-speaking countries in West and Central Africa, which affected international flights to Europe and other parts of the world from the stated countries.

ASECNA is agency that provides aerial navigation safety to the countries including Senegal, Togo, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Côte d ‘Ivoire and others in addition to Madagascar. It is based in Dakar, Senegal.
ASECNA manages 16.1 million square kilometres of airspace covering six Flight Information Regions (FIR) that include Antananarivo, Brazzaville, Dakar Oceanic and Terrestrial, Niamey and N’Djamena.