During the night of 18 to 19 April, German controllers will assist flights inbound or outbound of Liège, impacted by Skeyes staff shortage, between 01:30 and 04:30 local time.
For a few weeks now, Belgian air navigation service provider Skeyes has been impacted by a staff shortage, affecting Belgian airspace (EBBU) and causing as a consequence flight cancellations at Brussels Airport and Liège Airport. Brussels Airport had a few commercial flights cancelled or diverted, while Liège Airport is the most impacted with more than twenty flights cancelled or rerouted during night closures.
After extensive discussions today between Liege Airport and Skeyes, an agreement on business continuity was found with “Langen Radar” controllers to manage flights from and to Liège during the closure of Belgian airspace, and this is the first time it will be tested. However, the number of flights managed this way will be limited to six per hour.
Similar procedures exist for Charleroi, with “Reims Control”, France, Antwerp with “Amsterdam Radar”, The Netherlands (agreement being finalised), and Ostend with “London Control”, United Kingdom.
Forum discussion involving air traffic controllers: https://www.aviation24.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=65775&start=300#p381013
