A strike by air traffic controllers in Antalya has been ongoing since July 3 and is expected to last until July 14. The decision to strike was made by the industry union HTK-SEN, as the initial demands of the strikers were not met. This was reported by the Russian Union of Tourism Industry (RUST) on its website.
"For several days now, the strike has been causing delays to many flights, including Russian ones. The participants in the action called "Work without Initiative" decided to start protests against the background of ignoring their demands for higher wages and better working conditions. The dispatchers did not stop completely, but slowed down their work, which in conditions of high workload of the airport affects tourists with hours of waiting," the message says.
RUST notes that the action is expected to spread to other Turkish air harbors in the near future.
According to the union, flight programs are operated from 22 cities in Russia to five cities in Turkey by airlines of both countries. At the peak of the season, the number of flights reaches 1200. According to experts, among foreign beach destinations, Turkey is the most popular among Russians.
As the report says, in fact, the action began in June with a slowdown in the work of airport loaders, but gradually more and more specialists are joining it.
"According to RUST estimates, this summer at least 3 million organized tourists will rest in Turkey's resorts. The country is now in the high season, tourists from all over the world come to the resorts of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas.There is a high risk that the announced second wave of the strike and its spread to airports in other Turkish cities will lead to discomfort for tourists. Peak loads on the airport fall on July-August and for the successful passage of this period,coordinated work must be ensured. We hope that a solution will be found," RUST quotes the expert's opinion.
According to him, organized tourists will be informed about flight delays in advance by tour operators. However, part of the delays occur already at the airport while waiting for departure, and in such a situation, the provision of additional services to passengers is the responsibility of the airline and the issue of interaction with the airport.
"According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey, the flow of tourists to the country continues to grow.According to the latest statistics, from January to May 2024, the number of tourists increased by almost 12.5% compared to last year - to 15.8 million people. The number of Russians during this period exceeded 1.8 million people. Last year,6.3 million Russian tourists visited Turkey," RUST noted.
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