The Associazione Nazionale Assistenti e Controllori della Navigazione Aerea - ANACNA is the professional association representing the Italian Air Traffic Service Officers.

It is not a union nor a political party.

Although ANACNA does not include in its Statutes the task to cover Social aspects and general working condition of its Associates, it is deeply involved and concerned about staff shortage and the other issues, which bring labour unions to declare strike actions throughout Europe.
A strike is a right recognized by Art. 28 of the “Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union” and according to this right, workers abstain from working as well as from receiving a salary in a deal with the employer. Strikes are announced well in advance, permitting travellers and airlines to manage and re-organize their activities at best.

The airspace is highly regulated and the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) define the minima, requirements and designs to cover all needed aspects of safety and efficiency.
In support of the Air Traffic Services workers, the Association wants to underline the commitment demonstrated by the European Air Traffic Controllers in their duties on a daily basis. This commitment is expressed through all the work done by the controller beyond the prescriptions like the provision of direct routings, the authorizations to fly at an altitude which has not been previously filed for whatever reason and all the self-assigned additional work to positively respond to any request to deviate from the filed flight plan or to absorb unexpected delays.

All this and keeping safety at paramount levels.

Still it sounds like all this effort is not being recognized by some airline managements which try to blame Air Traffic Controllers for their unions’ strike actions, while attempting unfairly to steer people’s opinion against them, instead of thanking them for the hundreds of track-miles and hours of flight-time saved every day.

In the interim, the European ANSPs have to face a continuous release of new rules and requirements, which are expensive to deploy for the providers, but carry the intent to guarantee money savings to airlines only.

ATCOs demonstrate their respect to their duties and the commitment to airspace efficiency daily.
ANACNA strongly supports a joint collaboration with all the airspace users and air traffic service stakeholders, in order to recognize ATCOs value and to convey a common understanding of each other’s needs.

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