12,600 flights may be cancelled every day as holidaymakers hit by strikes

Summer flights across Europe are at risk of disruption from air traffic control (ATC) strikes.

A trade union representing staff at Eurocontrol, which manages European airspace, is threatening to take industrial action in a row over issues such as recruitment, management and rosters.

The Union Syndicale Bruxelles (USB), which represents EU civil servants, wrote to Eurocontrol bosses stating that industrial action will take place with just a five-day notice period, and could begin next week.

This means UK holidaymakers face major uncertainty over whether their summer getaway flights will be delayed or cancelled.

The Times reported it was told by an aviation source that up to 12,600 flights across Europe could be disrupted every day during strike action.

The dispute relates to Eurocontrol’s network manager operations centre (NMOC), which plays a vital role in streamlining ATC operations across the continent.

It validates all flight plans, checking more than 96,000 messages a day.

USB claimed the NMOC has a “25% staff shortage” and called for more workers to be recruited.