I heard about this, and it was last sunday night yes. Staffing problem and no regulation was taken until it was too late. When tfc was holding over CLS (and Motil and more places) "zero rate" was declared to Madrid.
Well, when any of you come to Madrid, donīt remember the times you have to change frequency?. Coming from CLS, 132,980... then you are changed to 133,850, then APP 124,025... and so on. How many times were you changed that night? That means joint sectors. I think there were 8 controllers on APP that night, so at 1 am there were just 1 or 2 sectors for all Madrid TMA. That means low capacity, even if you donīt see anyone in your TCAS. At night a lot of traffics take off to cross the Atlantic, about 8-10 at least, plus some delayed can be up to 15 take offs, even more. With the arrivales is too much for one sector.
Letīs talk about TCAS: Do you see TFCs at 80 miles on it? on CZI sector you hace to control more than 200 miles from N-S, and some traffics just enter and stay the 220 miles on your sector... radio silence since "Radar contact" but they are there and count for capacity (DLH505 and SWR091 to SBGR.... all the nights are the same).
Please, just take at look at the CFMU web ANY day of the week at 21:00-22:00z. All Europe is clear (unless any special event) and a lot of sectors in Spain are regulated (specially sundays, itīs the worst day).
Remember: before july 18 ATCs on Madrid APP at night, now 8-10; 24-28 ATCs for area radar and now 14-16.
And about the controller encouraging for divert, I was not there but I wonīt don that ever. I know you have to hold until the holding fuel is used and then divert. I can complain about pilots not knowing their route, or deviating by mistake, or crossing the localizer by mistake... but we are humans and it happens.
Cya tonight I think in the East sectors.