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ARCHIVED - Spain studies plan to privatise more air traffic control towers
Air travel experts in Spain are divided over the move, claiming that while it may lower ticket prices it could negatively impact flight safety
The Spanish Socialist government is preparing to privatise the workforce in more airport control towers, a development that comes at the same time as air traffic controllers are striking over a wage dispute across the country at air traffic control centres that have already been privatised.
Spain’s Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) has confirmed that a ministerial order for the privatisation of the air traffic control service in the towers of certain airports will soon be put out to a public hearing process “to gather contentions and comments on the text”.
The seven towers and airports are being considered for privatisation include Tenerife South (pictured), Tenerife North, Malaga, Gran Canaria, Bilbao, Santiago and Palma de Mallorca, which combined account for around a third of all Spanish air traffic.
The proposal comes in response to a request by the Aena airline operator on January 31 to open up the air traffic service in Spain to private entities.
Spain’s Minister for Transport, Raquel Sánchez, says, “the experience to date of the service provided by private providers has been significantly positive in terms of quality and economic efficiency, so Mitma’s assessment has been favourable to Aena’s request.”
They say the move will reduce air transport operating costs by increasing competitiveness in the market, meaning lower costs for passengers, as well as improving efficiency and customer welfare.
However, the European Air Traffic Controllers’ Trade Union Coordination (ATCEUC) has said in the past that “focusing solely on costs has negative collateral consequences for the quality of Air Traffic Management services and is jeopardising their ability to increase capacity”, claiming that the privatisation of this service could present an additional security risk.
Image: Archive
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