Antalya Airport is in a very bad situation! How did it come to this?

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25 July / Yeni Alanya

Antalya Airport, where delays follow one another, has become the worst in Europe in this regard. How did Antalya Airport reach this situation? Antalya Airport, which has become a scene of air traffic controllers' search for rights, ranked last in Europe's list of airports where arrivals and departures are on time.

ANTALYA AIRPORT RANKS LAST

The situation is very bad at Antalya Airport due to the air traffic controllers' search for rights. Because controllers fail to take initiative, both departing and arriving aircraft are forced to experience delays. Findings regarding delays that have repeatedly brought passengers and airline staff into conflict have also been reflected in EuroControl data. During the periods of July 5-11 and July 13-19, 2024, Antalya Airport ranked last in on-time arrival/departure rates among the top 110 airports in European airspace where controllers operated without initiative.

HOW DID THE DETERIORATING PROCESS BEGIN?

So, how did this process begin at Antalya Airport, where records are being broken and which frequently brings passengers into conflict with airline officials, leading to tense moments? The Air Traffic Controllers and Other Transportation Workers Union (HTK-SEN), established in 2022, discussed issues related to the employment rights of air traffic controllers with authorities. However, seeing no action taken, they declared the initiative to work without initiative (İAÇ) at the end of September 2023 to draw attention to employment rights.

THE PROCESS CONTINUED THIS WAY

HTK-SEN scheduled its initial İAÇ activity as a goodwill gesture during the low traffic winter months, activating İAÇ on days with minimal air traffic. Following high-level discussions held in November 2023 where assurances were made by officials regarding their employment rights demands, HTK-SEN suspended the İAÇ activity. However, after promises made following the elections were not fulfilled, HTK-SEN resumed İAÇ activity in June 2024. As a result of İAÇ activities, delays at Antalya Airport continue to provoke reactions from passengers.