Air traffic controllers' strike cuts off much of Africa from the world
A strike by air traffic controllers grounded flights to and from West and Central Africa on Friday, causing chaos for travelers to Europe, the United States and within the continent.
Workers at the Air Navigation Safety Agency in Africa and Madagascar, which regulates air traffic control in 18 countries, went on strike on Friday during a dispute over working conditions and salaries, in defiance of court rulings and a government ban preventing them from doing so.
Reports from Reuters at Senegal's Blaise Diani International Airport and in the United States said that flights to and from Europe and the United States were halted on Friday evening, one of the busiest travel days.
Airlines and passengers said flights within Africa were also affected.
The Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar asked customers to follow airlines' websites for updates.
"Although all courts have banned the strike...the air traffic controllers' unions have staged an illegal strike," the agency said Friday.
The Air Traffic Controllers' Union said in a statement that its members would stop providing services to all "sensitive" flights until their demands are met.
Paul Francois Gomis, one of the leaders of the striking Senegalese air traffic controllers, said that some union members have been arrested in Cameroon, Congo and Comoros for participating in the strike.
Reuters journalists said Air Senegal had suspended several flights as a result of the strike.
The airline could not be reached for comment.
Travelers said flights to the United States, Portugal and Turkey were affected.
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