An air traffic controllers’ strike on the morning of April 17 at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport disrupted Ethiopian Airlines’ hub operations and delayed international flights by some other carriers, affecting thousands of passengers. The strike, which included air traffic controllers and other aviation technicians, brought airport activities to a virtual standstill for more than an hour, when negotiations between civil aviation authorities led to at least a temporary reprieve and a return to regular operations.
The director general of the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA), Wossenyeleh Hunegnaw, told AIN that the controllers called the strike on Monday after discovering that the authority withheld overtime payments. Wossenyeleh said that ECAA terminated overtime and holiday payments following a directive issued by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation to reduce expenses at public offices.
A senior official of Ethiopian Airlines confirmed to AIN that the national carrier has resumed all its domestic and international flights.
Ethiopian air traffic controllers have long complained about minimal salaries. Many have left the authority in search of better compensation.