As a result of repeated staff illnesses in air traffic control, the Isle of Man airport has implemented an additional runway shutdown.
The extra tiredness break will take place tonight (Thursday) and tomorrow between 7 and 7.35 p.m.
Five members of the air traffic control staff are on sick leave.
This caused the opening of Ronaldsway’s airfield to be delayed on Wednesday morning. Services were delayed, and the morning’s London City flights were canceled.
The airfield opened at 8 a.m. yesterday.
An Isle of Man Airport official stated on Facebook this morning: ‘Due to a persistent high level of sickness within air traffic control, an additional regulation ATC break will be in effect between 1900 and 1935 hours. Airlines have been notified.
We apologize for any trouble this may cause.
Staff shortages in air traffic control have caused problems at Ronaldsway for over a year.
In June of last year, the airport took the unprecedented step of closing the runway five times per day for fatigue breaks and training.
The situation improved once the medical issue in the control tower was rectified. Last August, the number of fatigue breaks was reduced from five to two: 8.30am to 9.05am and 11am to 11.30am.
Since then, the situation in air traffic control has remained unchanged. It has been less noticeable as aviation services have been reduced over the winter.
Airport director Gary Cobb stated that the airport was still ‘fragile’ but in a better state than last year, and he hopes that the fatigue breaks would be lifted later this year.
He stated that he intended to have two further ATCOs fully validated this year.
Leave a Reply