Moroccan air transport is likely to be hit by a strike in the coming days. This is what should be retained from the communiqué of the air traffic controllers’ union. The latter announces a 15-day strike starting next Saturday, October 8. Launched on October 3, the call for this walkout movement of air traffic controllers aims to stop air traffic services in all airports in the kingdom. They will only provide “minimum service” in the entire Moroccan airspace.
However, the union announces that it provides control services for Royal Palace flights, state flights, military flights, medical flights, purely humanitarian flights and flights involved in search and rescue operations.
Anger of the strikers
According to information published by medias 24, their demands are nothing more than the application of the 2019 agreement which provides for an ATM (Air Traffic Management) bonus of 5,000 dirhams, a licence bonus and the creation of a special status for the profession.
Failure of negotiations
For the air traffic controllers, this strike action may be extended, suspended or cancelled depending on the circumstances. But for the moment (with two days to go), no negotiations have yet been concluded, according to our information. According to the statement, the Air Traffic Controllers’ Bureau “had shown a very high level of maturity and wisdom during the meeting with the Administration. But unfortunately the negotiations on the 3 August 2022 agreement and the remaining points of the 2019 memorandum of understanding and its annex ended in a resounding failure.
As a consequence, the air traffic controllers formulated an appeal requesting the Directorate General of the National Airport Authority (ONDA) to take all necessary regulatory precautions (NOTAM, or Notice to Airmen) in favour of air travellers. This new strike is generating anxiety among passengers and risks paralysing the international air sector and negatively impacting tourism revenues.
