Almost 20,000 passengers are expected to be affected by flight delays or rescheduling on the second day of an air traffic controllers’ strike, which will take place this Thursday between 16:00 and 19:00 and affect all domestic flights.
State-owned Aerolíneas Argentinas, the biggest local carrier, announced 48 flights would be delayed and 13 would depart earlier due to the strikes.
Flybondi said 40 of their flights would be affected — “including cancellations, rescheduling, delays and airport changes” — and Jetsmart warned 20 flights would be reprogrammed or delayed.
The strikes were announced on December 15 by the Association of Air Navigation Security and Protection Technicians and Employees (ATEPSA), the air traffic controllers union, after it failed to reach an agreement with the state-run Argentine Air Navigation Company (EANA).
A hearing on Wednesday at the Ministry of Labor was unable to resolve the conflict.
Demands The union is demanding the reinstatement of workers dismissed without cause at understaffed airports, a review of meal allowances, recognition of seniority, a resolution of more than 60 pending operational issues, and the reopening of collective bargaining.
The workers also warned about the decline in wages despite the growth in air operations.
The industrial action, which started on Wednesday morning, and affected over 24,000 domestic flight passengers, will continue on Tuesday, December 23, and will interrupt all domestic departures between 19:00 and 23:00.
If no agreement is reached, the measures will continue after Christmas, the union said.
On Saturday, December 27, it will affect international flights nationwide, from 14:00 to 17:00.
And on Monday, December 29, it will paralyze all flights, between 8:00 to 11:00 AM.
In response to the strikes, the government, through the EANA, filed a criminal complaint against the air traffic controllers, accusing the union of violating operational safety rules by placing flags on the control towers of Jorge Newbery Airport and Ezeiza International Airport.
What to do if you’re affected If you learn that your flight suffered any modifications ahead of your trip or when you are already in the airport, the first thing you should do is check for updates from the airline where you got your ticket. Airlines normally send emails to passengers informing them of any changes.
You can also go to their website and social media to see if they posted any message there regarding changes to the flights, or check the state of your reservation in their website or at the Aeropuertos Argentina website here.
Contact your travel agency if you got your ticket through one.
Airlines generally offer passengers the chance to rebook their flights for free or get a refund for unused tickets when flights are canceled or delayed due to strikes.
However, the companies are not obliged to provide any accommodation, food, beverages or transportation when modifications are caused by circumstances beyond their control, such as strikes or bad weather.