1stspotter

Just came across a rather shocking blogsite written by a Madrid Air Traffic Controller. He is Supervisor for the Madrid Terminal Area.


AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN SPAIN: Controversial text

The controller describes in detail the events in the Madrid terminal area on the 26th of July and reveals information I have not read on Pprune before.

I am aware of the many opinions by Pprune member stating Spanish ATC is one of the worst in the world, Europe for sure.
This blog confirms it all!

He also gives an insight in quality of training of controllers.
And also about the cost cutting of AENA, the organization responsible for air traffic control. The same company is apparently responsible for operating the airports. As Ryanair does not like to pay too much for airport fees, a penalty given by ATC to Ryanair (lower flightlevel) is not imaginary.

a quote:
"May I begin by confessing a secret? Many air traffic controllers in Spain are hoping for an accident to happen. The trampling over our working terms and conditions has been so painful and the passivity of supervisory institutions (not to mention the lack of independence between providers and supervisors) has been such, that we believe that only the investigation of an accident by different international bodies will unravel the mess and "normalise" our situation. To talk about a death toll of 500 passengers would be scaremongering, but to ignore what has recently happened would be plainly foolish. And I think we have already been foolish enough!
In any case, it is not my intention to write about conditions, I would just prefer to outline the shortcomings of an air traffic control service provider, even if there is much more to be said about the former."

A lot of shocking detail. Wish the international press and politicians spent some more time on investigating this issue. Seems a lot more serious than KLM, Ryanair and other airlines minimal fuel policy.

DavidWoodward

I'm sure it will take an accident for things to change. Management will want to lower costs and will push their luck until something major enough happens that the world starts asking questions. I'm sure they'll try to blame the individual though.

fantom

I do not believe a word of this dreadful accusation.

ATC in Spain maybe overworked and underpaid (I don't know) but they do not want anyone killed; that is just silly.

His dudeness

Have a look at how the Spanish government has handled ATC for the last year or so and then you should know why the morale isnīt exactly skyhigh.

I dislike flying in Spain because of ATCs service level (or rather the lack of it) but I honestly I donīt believe a Spanish ATCO really wishes the dead of innocent passengers. IMO thats just an expression of how desperate the situation has become for them.

Tarq57

I would find it extremely difficult to believe any ATCO, anywhere in the world, would wish for an accident, regardless of how poorly they have been treated by their management, their regulator, and their government.

OTOH, I believe that there are a few (I know of at least one) who think that an accident is inevitable.

westhawk

Another tempest in teapot.

I don't find it much of a stretch that someone might actually say something like that at all. People speak all manner of ill when they're upset about something. It's like the petulant child wishing harm upon their parent because they weren't given any ice cream. After a period of reflection do they really mean it?

However most reasonable people expect that adults are held to account for what they say to a higher degree than children and professionals to higher standard than the average Joe. Therefore such a comment will not be met with the sort of empathy the person uttering it might have expected. But based upon the sorts of garbage I've heard spouting from angry lips in my lifetime I have no problem believing someone said such a thing. Though I do have a feeling they wouldn't say it in public!

MadDog Driver

Of course no ATCO wants an accident to happen. For exactly the same reason that a pilot hating his FTL,salary etc wont want an accident to happen : The dead people will be in some form or another be blamed on him not saying 'enough is enough' ...before that accident happened.

aldegar

NO, NO, NO and NO. I'm DEFINITELY NOT hoping for an accident to happen.

We've been through a lot (still are), but this is a crazy statement.

Yaw String

Where did it go?

JW411

Good question.

Yaw String

1st Spotter(or whoever posted it)..can you PM me the original thanks..

TBSC

This one?

http://www.pprune.org/atc-issues/504...nt-happen.html

Hotel Tango

No one in aviation "hopes" for an accident and I don't believe that that is what is meant. More likely the intended meaning is that it will take an accident (and subsequent investigation) to bring to light what is happening in Spain.

sleeper

I think that what is meant is:

blind pew

Nothing new.
Had a friend in 1981 who was a controller at Chicago but due to family commitments had moved to Swiss control at Zurich.
He tried to warn them of their practices having had several incidents himself and was rewarded with a Der Spiegel on his chair with the headline "Auslander Raus".
Left and went back to the US without a job as Reagan had sacked all the controllers.
Took twenty years for the inevitable to happen although I had a couple of close calls.

carlosii

Didn't they have one already? In 1977 - if I'm not mistaken? Would of thought that they learned from this one and that Spanish ATC would be top notch by all means in Europe after that, but seems that this wasn't the case after all...

Hotel Tango

If you are refering to the midair, they were under military control because of a (civil) strike. Besides, you canīt really compare 1977 with 2013.

autolycus224

In my experience (42 years Aircrew and ATCO), ATCOs just had to play the safety card to frighten management. Spain's ATCOs were always the envy of Europe as they were the best paid, were scheduled to be on duty the least number of hours (note: Not "worked"), retired the earliest (52 on 100% pension until 65) and the name "Spanish practices", originated where?


Spain is in the S**t. Everyone has to bear the burden of the current crisis and I am afraid the Spanish controllers are not excluded.

Shame on this ATCO for a most unprofessional comment. I would fire him on the spot.

ATC Watcher

I know I am wasting my time , but cannot resit to comment :

1 Total bullSh*t . No one wants that. The guy is frustated, understandably, but he should write his frustrations in his mother tongue. In case he really means this, then he should take a long medical vacation.

2 calosii :You are ; 1977 is Teneriffe collision and had very little to do with the controller on duty . Read your classics..

3 Hotel Tango : You are mixing up Spain and France; The Nantes collision was in 1973 over France.

4. Blind pew : I think I know who you are talking about. The "familly commitments " were rather "Reagan made" no ? . the reasons why he left were also a bit different as I recall . And suggesting this was a warning for Ueberlingen is a bit dishonnest : the procedures and the people in place in 2002 in Zurich ACC were totally different than those in 1981.

5,autolycus224 :Good, that would solve the problem . Ex Ryanair management by chance ?

Hotel Tango

ATC Watcher, you are of course right. I answered with a little too much haste after a few glasses of Merlot.