Irish Air Traffic Controllers Stage Strike

Irish air traffic controllers are staging a strike on 20 January 2010 to protest the suspension of 15 of their colleagues who refused to operate under newly-revised working conditions. The work stoppage was scheduled to begin at 1400 local time/UTC and continue for four hours at Dublin (EIDW/DUB) and Shannon (EINN/SNN) airports, while workers at Cork Airport (EICK/ORK) will strike between 1600 and 1800 local time/UTC. The affected airports will be shut down for the duration of the strike, and flights passing through Irish airspace will also experience disruptions. In anticipation of the strike, Aer Lingus canceled 64 flights and Ryanair canceled 48; the Irish Aviation Authority has warned that as many as 150 additional flights could be affected. Travelers are being advised to contact their airlines for additional information on flight cancellations and delays