The Ministry of Public Transport and the Union of Air Traffic Control Professionals (Sitecna) have reached an agreement just in time to stop any plans for a union strike.

Air traffic control specialists (ATCs) are responsible for ensuring the safe and efficient movement of air traffic at Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO) in Alajuela Province.

Representatives of the ministry and the union signed an agreement to address the demands of the ATCs, such as hiring a minimum of 54 additional controllers, allowing for an extra 15 days of vacation time each year (resulting in a total of 30 days per year) and a salary increase.

The Minister of Public Transportation Luis Amador announced that starting next week, each demand made by the union will be analyzed with the support of other public institutions.

The government has agreed to immediately authorize the opening of 29 jobs to increase the number of staff in charge of controlling air traffic, as requested by the union.

Additionally, more vacancies will be available starting next year to guarantee adequate staffing for high-quality airport service.

 

Authorities promised to review salaries and adjust them to match responsibilities and schedules in response to the union's request for a salary increase and more vacations.

 

According to the union president, Pedro Parada, they agreed to suspend their plans to go on strike and delay flight operations at the airport.

Parada stated that the union never officially went on strike, and the airport's air traffic control service has been functioning without any disruptions.

The SJO airport is one of the busiest in Central America and serves as a major hub for both domestic and international flights.

As of June, about 1.1 million tourists arrived by air, which is equivalent to 88% of the total number of tourists who arrived in the first semester of this year.

Of these, more than 75% of tourists entered the country at SJO and over 20% entered the Daniel Oduber International Airport (LIR) in Guanacaste Province.

 

Last year, approximately 2.3 million tourists traveled to the country, which is one million more than the number of visitors in 2021.

 

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