Dublin Airport experienced disruptions on Monday and Tuesday mornings due to a shortage of available air traffic controllers (ATCs). This led to airspace closure and flights being put in holding patterns when a “limited restriction” of 30 minutes was placed on arrivals into Dublin in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Seven transatlantic flights due to land in Dublin, were instructed to circle in a holding pattern over Knock for up to 40 minutes as a result of the two 30-minute shutdowns at 2am and 4am.
The shortage arose from various reasons, including unscheduled sick leave and mandatory safety training. The low availability of ATCs during night shifts is partly due to their involvement in daytime training.
Fórsa trade union says the situation highlights concerns over low morale among ATCs due to overwork and limited opportunities for casual leave. There has been a reduction in ATC staff at Shannon Airport by 10pc and Dublin Airport by 2pc, resulting in an increased reliance on overtime shifts. There were 117 overtime calls in October. The issue of staff retention and recruitment is being addressed by the Fórsa trade union, in collaboration with Airnav.
Overall, the shortage of ATCs has caused disruptions at Dublin Airport, prompting discussions on staff retention, recruitment, and maintaining a sustainable service.
An Airnav spokesperson said the restrictions were a “regulatory requirement to provide mandatory fatigue breaks.”
