According to an official announcement released by the Greek Air Traffic Controllers Association (GATCA) on Monday, air traffic controllers will hold a 48-hour strike next weekend, October 4-5, to protest against a ministerial decree allowing the Public Debt Management Agency access to air navigation route charges accounts,  as a means “to cover immediate cash needs”.

GATCA noted that “this is an unprecedented intervention in the special accounts for purposes other than Civil Aviation Authority air navigation.”

The announcement also said that this decision paves the road for “the utilization of special accounts reserves for public debt repayment purposes,” which is a “blatant violation of Community law” and warns that the air traffic controllers will bring their case before the European Commission and will file a report with the European Parliament.