02/07/2016 00:00
TW
1

French Air Traffic Controllers' Strikes

Dear Sir,
The ongoing series of strikes by the French ATC controllers has caused, and will no doubt continue to cause, much distress to air passengers whose flights transit France. The European-wide EUROCONTROL, an ‘agency’ of the EU and other member states, has plans to make the upper airspace over Europe (above 24,500 feet) the responsibility of one unified control area independent of national boundaries.

A part of North West Europe, known as the MUAC (Maastricht Upper Area Control), which includes Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and parts of Germany, has been in existence for some forty years and provides upper airspace control independent of individual nations.

Unfortunately, for Spanish residents and tourists, the people who benefit most are those travelling from the UK and north west Europe to the Middle East, Asia and the Far East.

Best regards,
Tom Leeming