traffic down
It's good that traffic fell at Irish Airports as this is a loss making side of the business. Enroute traffic however is still there, every day, waiting to be separated. Controllers in the IAA make on average half a million euros each for the company in Revenue through provision of ANS.
This includes all the Tower, approach and information services which lose money. Our enroute charges are the 2nd or 3rd lowest in Europe yet the IAA still makes an operating profit in the downturn. If there is fat to be trimmed in the IAA it as the top heavy management end. Highlighted by the recent management conference which had over 80 attendees in a company of 600 odd. Some departments are managers only. A recent Job interview for a senior position was filled externally, against Policies and Procedures and they then went on to create positions for all the other people who applied. This during a so called pay freeze.
Our CEO sent a personal letter to each of us the week after Christmas with a list of demands and the threat of a 10% pay cut if we don't immediately and unconditionaly agree to their demands. This while negotiations are ongoing at the LRC.
After the last round of Social Partnership negotiations we had to take them to court to get them to pay.
My wife, after watching the News tonight said it all after Minister Dempsey was mentioned in the report with "pity his flight back from his f*cking holidays wasn't delayed.
Thorisgod