US embassy cable - 05CAIRO3688

UNCLAS CAIRO 003688 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, CASC, OTRA, EG 
SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS STRIKE 
 
This cable is Sensitive But Unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
1. (U) Summary:  On May 9, Egyptian air traffic controllers 
began an air traffic slow down in response to what they 
considered low wages and unfair punishments meted out by the 
Minister of Civil Aviation, Major General Ahmed Shafik.  The 
delays reportedly cost upwards of USD 600,000 per day.  Such 
concerted defiance of a powerful minister is rarely seen in 
Egypt.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) On the afternoon of May 9, Egyptian air traffic 
controllers began to slow down air traffic to and from all 
airports in Egypt.  Almost all Egyptair flights have been 
affected, creating delays of as brief as 20 minutes to as 
long as 7 hours.  Domestic charters and international flights 
are also experiencing significant delays.  The delays have 
been so long that Lufthansa, Alitalia, and Kuwait Airways 
canceled flights.  Several companies, including Hungarian Air 
Malev Airlines, Royal Jordanian, and Spanish Iberia Airlines, 
have requested financial compensation for the delays. 
Minister Shafik stated that the Ministry of Civil Aviation 
(MCA) is losing about USD 600,000 per day.  In the last few 
days the slow down has lessened, but flights are still not 
back on regular schedules as of May 15. 
 
3. (U) The association of the Egyptian air traffic 
controllers (530 members) has long been calling for salary 
raises and promotions.  Newly employed controllers earn 
approximately USD 345 per month while the most experienced 
earn USD 638 per month.  The association recently asked for a 
100 percent raise in salaries over 3 years and Minister 
Shafik responded that the 30 percent increase previously 
granted was sufficient.  Also, with the recent restructuring 
of the MCA, the controllers wanted to regain some lost 
privileges such as bonuses and discounts on flights and some 
high-level MCA management positions previously occupied by 
controllers.  "Unsatisfactory" medical care for the 
controllers and their families is a further aggravation. 
 
4. (U) The recent conflict started when Shafik decided early 
last week to penalize eight traffic controllers at Sharm El 
Sheikh airport after multiple flights experienced delays of 
15 to 20 minutes.  The association responded by threatening 
to slow down air traffic or even to bring it to a halt if the 
punishments of the eight controllers were not lifted and 
other salary and benefit demands addressed. 
 
5. (SBU) Minister Shafik took a tough stand.  In a press 
conference on May 10, he accused association members of being 
disloyal to their country and threatened to bring in foreign 
traffic controllers if the Egyptian controllers did not 
return flights to full operation immediately.  (Note:  It 
would be unlikely that the GOE would permit foreign 
controllers in Egypt.  More likely, Minister Shafik could 
bring in Egyptian military controllers to manage civilian 
flights.  End note.)  The press has reported that Minister 
Shafik has already fired three to four controllers and sent a 
warning to the association and its director, Magdy Abdel 
Hadi. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment:  Direct confrontation with a powerful 
minister is rarely seen in Egypt.  It is unclear whether 
Egyptian employees feel empowered by recent public activism 
and an increase in the frequency of demonstrations, or if 
their grievances alone are deemed sufficient cause to 
challenge authority.  End comment. 
 
 
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GRAY