The Air France company in Abidjan has also confirmed the cancellation of its two flights departing from Roissy, supposed to land in the evening in the Ivorian economic capital. Just like the deletion of two flights which were to leave for France. Air France flights drain hundreds of passengers between the two countries every day.
The strike movement, launched by the Union of Air Traffic Controllers Unions of Asecna (USYCAA), began Friday morning and should last 48 hours. The strikers are demanding in particular an improvement in their working conditions and better career plans.
Air traffic controllers from the Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (#ASECNA) have been on strike since Friday, September 23, 2022.
Commercial flights are disrupted at airports in the 17 countries served by the#Asecna. pic.twitter.com/qKcW7tfiiK— #AFRICA24 (@AFRICA24TV) September 24, 2022
Major disruptions
The Agency for Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna) has 18 member states, mainly French-speaking African countries.
“It’s a general movement“, commented an official of the USYCAA in Burkina Faso. The latter affirms that “minimum service is provided for military and humanitarian flights“.
Abidjan was not the only airport affected by major disruptions. No aircraft have landed or taken off from Ouagadougou airport, according to airport sources.
In Bamako, almost all commercial flights have also been canceled, an official on the site said anonymously.
A Dakar travel agency manager also reported stranded passengers in Lomé, Togo.
Air Senegal informs its kind customers that flight cancellations are to be expected on the company’s network, due to a strike by ASECNA air traffic controllers on September 23, 24 and 25. pic.twitter.com/8Pp6jwoK10
— Fly Air Senegal (@FlyAirSenegal) September 23, 2022
In Dakar, five out of 17 flights were canceled, according to an airport official, again on condition of anonymity.
Central Africa has not passed between the drops. In Cameroon, the national company Camair-Co indicated on Twitter that the strike led “the cancellation of all its flights” Friday.
The strike of ASECNA Agents (Air Traffic Controllers..) observed in several African airports, led to the cancellation of all flights that day.
Camair-Co will keep you informed of the progressive evolution of the situation. pic.twitter.com/PoDDNFcNAy
— Camair-Co (@camairco) September 23, 2022
“Wildcat strike”
“The strike continues“, warned the national union of air traffic controllers of this country. Friday, in a press release, Asecna deplored the holding of this “wildcat strike“despite the prohibition thereof”by all the courts seised“.
The Senegalese authorities had “seized justice and the latter suspended the strike and requisitioned the signalmen. Despite this requisition, the signalmen were not in the control tower on Friday morning and the authorities replaced them with soldiers from the Air Force“, explained the manager of Dakar airport.
Almost zero air traffic for this second day of strike by air traffic controllers in Africa.
▫️Air Côte d’Ivoire cancels all of its flights.
▫️Air France cancels its daily flights to Bangui, Niamey, Bamako, Kinshasa, Cotonou, Abidjan (only AF702 for now). pic.twitter.com/POBi5K4u7Z
— air plus news (@airplusnews) September 24, 2022
In Côte d’Ivoire, the Ministry of Transport described the strike as “illegal“, explaining that the Ivorian justice had suspended the notice on Thursday.
The ministry regrets that the strike takes place when the “dialogue dynamic is engaged“.
A first notice was given for August 25th. But the movement was finally suspended and negotiations started.