Air traffic controllers strike forces flight cancellations in West Africa

Dozens of flights were cancelled across West and Central Africa on Saturday as a strike by regional air traffic controllers entered a second day, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at airports.

The 48-hour strike was called by a union representing workers of the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA), which regulates air-traffic control in 18 countries.

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The air traffic controllers, who have threatened to prolong the strike if their demands are not met, are seeking better working and pay conditions, Reuters reported.

Hundreds of passengers were stranded at the Douala International airport in Cameroon on Saturday morning, the country’s national television CRTV reported. National carrier Camair-Co said on Friday it had cancelled all its flights due to the strike.

In Senegal, the airport departure board showed cancellations for flights operated by Brussels Airlines, Kenyan Airways and Emirates. In Ivory Coast, eight flights scheduled to leave the commercial hub of Abidjan on Saturday were cancelled.