Flights of thousands disrupted
The Keflavík International Airport. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
Flights of thousands of travellers have been disrupted due to a temporary work strike by the air traffic controllers that began last night at four o’clock and was in place until 10 o’clock this morning.
The negotiations between the Icelandic Air Traffic Controllers Association (FÍF) and Isavia at the State Conciliation and Mediation's office were concluded at the ninth hour last night and an agreement was made to meet again today at 3 pm.
A big gap to bridge
Aldís Magnúsdóttir, mediator in the dispute, and Arnar Hjálmarsson, chairman of the FÍF, agree that there is a big gap to bridge. Hjálmarsson says the only thing is to continue to negotiate.
Air traffic controllers at the negotiating table at the office of the State Conciliation and Mediation officer last night. mbl.is/Kristinn Magnússon
FÍF has called for further action on the 14th, 18th and 20th of December.
Both Icelandair and Play decided yesterday, before the meeting between the FÍF and Isavia ended, to delay flights today due to temporary measures taken by the FÍF. It was decided that decisions could not be delayed longer, as many passengers in the US were usually heading out to the airport at that time.
Some airplanes directed to other routes
Gudni Sigurdsson, Icelandair’s representative, said that all flights to and from Iceland would be delayed until after 10 am today. There will be some unification of flights, but everyone should get to their intended destination today, even if it’s too late. There will be examples of flights being directed to other destinations than originally planned.
Birgir Olgeirsson, Play’s representative, says the measures affect nineteen flights, and some passengers will therefore miss their connection flights. He says there will be no disruption to the flights scheduled for the second part of today.
Alexander Arnarsson was on his way to Manchester to see a game and said the strike did not really impact his travels too much. Composite image/Guðmundur Hilmarsson
“Isn't it always a bad times for strikes?”
Passengers heading to Manchester were about to be lost in the departure lounge of Leif Eiriksson's terminal when a journalist from mbl.is came by.
Alexander Arnarson told a journalist that the temporary work strike has no effect on his travel plans.
Got to sleep longer
"We just got to sleep longer. We'll be back home on Friday, so it's all going to be okay," he says, but strikes have been announced Thursday, as well as Monday and Wednesday next week.
Arnarson said that strikes are always boring but said he had an understanding that one way or another people have to fight for their benefits.
“Isn't it always a bad times for strikes? It's definitely not something people play with, but of course you just have to sit at the negotiating table and try to reach a settlement.”
Hope for the best but fear the worst
You are on your way to Manchester for vacation, right?
“There is a game - Manchester vs Bayern. ”
Manchester United's success has been up and down the rest of the season and a journalist asked Arnarson if he was afraid of tonight's match.
“No, no, I’m just going to enjoy it. It’s no use living in fear,” Arnarson said, adding with the help of a journalist that he hopes for the best but fears the worst before their paths separate.
