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The strike disrupted flight schedules across the West and Central African regions, leaving hundreds of passengers travelling to Europe, the United States and within the continent stranded at airports till Saturday.

By Oge Udegbunam and Abdulkareem Mojeed

Air traffic controllers in some African countries have suspended their strike more than 24 hours after the industrial action commenced and grounded air travel.

The Union of Traffic Controllers’ Unions said it decided to suspend the strike for 10 days to give room for negotiations. The union had earlier vowed to keep up with the strike until its demands were met, saying its members would stop serving all but “critical” aircraft.

“Air traffic services will be provided in all air spaces and airports managed by ASECNA from today Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 1200 GMT,” USYCAA said in a statement on Saturday. The controllers work under the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA).

Employees at ASECNA, which oversees air traffic control in 18 countries, stopped work on Friday over issues having to do with working hours and compensation. ASECNA said they had defied a court order and government restrictions to do so.

According to ASECNA, a Senegalese court on Thursday postponed the demand for a strike by air traffic controllers in Senegal and the Ivory Coast.

The strike disrupted flight schedules across the West and Central African regions, leaving hundreds of passengers travelling to Europe, the United States and within the continent stranded at airports till Saturday.

Air Senegal had grounded numerous aircraft. It was not immediately clear how the strike affected air travel from Nigeria with a spokesperson for Air Peace, which flies international routes from the country, telling PREMIUM TIMES the strike had been suspended, without further details.

A spokesperson for the striking Senegalese air traffic controllers, Paul Francois Gomis, claimed that several union members had been detained for taking part in the strike in Cameroon, the Congo, and the Comoros.

“The USYCAA has initiated a wildcat strike notwithstanding the prohibition of the strike by all courts,” ASECNA said on Friday. The chief of human resources at ASECNA, Ceubah Guelpina, was quoted by Reuters as saying, “We have previously used all administrative and institutional remedies in the management of this crisis, but we still have trade unionists in front of us who are obstinate in doing whatever they want.”

Airlines and passengers reported that flights within Africa were also disrupted, while customers were advised by ASECNA to monitor airline websites for updates.