Air Traffic Controllers Strike, Disrupting African Air Travel

Flights into and out of West and Central Africa were disrupted September 23 and 24 when air traffic controllers launched a strike in an effort to demand better working conditions. The strike was suspended on Saturday afternoon.

Controllers who work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), which regulates air traffic control across 18 countries, stopped working on Friday to  dispute pay and working conditions. The countries most impacted were Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Cameroon. The strike action had been expected to last for 48 hours.

Ultimately, the Union of Air Traffic Controllers’ Unions (USYCAA), which called the strike, said in a statement it suspended the strike notice for 10 days immediately, to allow for negotiations. “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 said.