A major protest by air traffic controllers at Cairo Airport grounded four fifths of the flights from one of the most active international airports in the Middle East yesterday (October 5), resulting in as many as 3,000 travelers being stranded. Although the protest ended at midnight on Wednesday, it nevertheless had a huge impact on travelers. Consequently, although the slow-down is over, the impact on travelers may yet continue.
COMMENT: As this posting is filed, only 20 of the 100 planes that had been due to take off in the previous 10 hours have departed. Egyptair saw 80 of its flights canceled. The slow-down was called after a pay increase for Cairo's 700 air traffic controllers was canceled when other staff protested at the pay rise.
In-bound travelers may want to re-confirm their reservations to Egypt before departing for the airport, as delayed flights may continue.
