Air traffic controllers at Beirut airport to go on strike over staffing shortages

Air traffic controllers at Beirut airport to go on strike over staffing shortages

NNA - Air traffic controllers at the Rafik Hariri International Airport announced on Thursday they would go on strike next month over severe staffing shortages, partially closing the Beirut hub.

The announcement by the team of 13 air traffic controllers follows a report last week by the European Unionrsquo;s aviation safety watchdog that raised concerns after inspecting the airport, just south of the Lebanese capital.

The airport is supposed to have a staff of 87 air traffic controllers, the controllers said.

Lebanonrsquo;s has been in the grip of a devastating economic crisis since late 2019 after decades of corruption and mismanagement. Public sector and state institutions have steadily deteriorated as the cash-strapped government struggles to provide adequate funding.

The Beirut airport has faced power cuts and equipment shortages for months during the busy tourism season. Over 4 million people flew into Lebanon since the beginning of the year.

The strike would begin Sept. 5 and the controllers would not work overnight, between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and International Civil Aviation Organization said in a report carried by Lebanese media last week that its inspection of Beirut#39;s airport earlier this summer detailed multiple safety concerns, including a severe shortage of