That Was The Week That Was 06-10 March 2023
Taking Back Control
This week, the week that was, saw Geneva’s world’s largest Air Traffic Management conference come and go. The arrival was on time, the going, maybe less so. No fault of CANSO and the organisers of Airspace World, who worked very hard to make the event work to schedule and in timetable order. No, departure was delayed for delegates as they left via Geneva airport. The French air traffic controllers were on strike. Significant delays were absorbed as aircraft waited for their turn to get one of the limited clearances available to proceed.
You might think that there is nothing new in that news. It is not the first time the French controllers have reached for the downing of tools to make their point. This time their point, at least officially, was that the controllers were out on strike in sympathy with other French workers upset that the retirement age was to be lifted from 62 to 64. Please note that this does not impact the controllers of France. Not for them the indignity of working on until 62, let alone until 64. This was a sympathetic move on the part of the controllers for other workers expected to now suffer this fate. Presumably those long-suffering workers were delighted to be joined in their protest by workers that laugh at the very concept of retirement at 62. Obviously, ‘sympathy’ is differently defined in France, and allows for the sense of condescension as well.
But the timing of this show of industrial muscle both past and present was remarkable. One of the lasting, defining features of Madrid’s World ATM Congress was that, on cue, French controllers would go on strike. This year, on cue, the French controllers went on strike. The controllers were astute enough to factor in the date change. Those intending on going to Madrid this year for Madrid’s world’s largest ATM conference should factor in industrial delays already. But, playing into the controllers’ hands, it is very difficult to get away from Geneva airport without moving into French airspace and thus be subject to the industrial action. From Madrid, other routes, often very circuitous routes, are available. From Geneva, all those aviation gurus are now a captive audience.
Within the halls of Airspace World, discussion was less on automation of the controlling process than it was about integrating uncrewed vehicles into the airspace, but the controllers were nonetheless on guard for any sign of backsliding. So take a moment to salute the fact that at the exhibition we were afforded of what controllers call sequencing. They did not strike as delegates arrived, when the delegates would have been reminded of what the value of automation might be, but as they left. Why send delegates into the event keen to automate? No, flex those muscles on the way out. All will be forgotten by next year.