Airspace unprotected – ‘Krone’ report leads to parliamentary question

Because many military air traffic controllers switched to the better-paying Austro Control, the Eurofighters were unable to fly last weekend. SPÖ defense spokesman Robert Laimer now wants to know more precisely and submits a request to ÖVP Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. Laimer wants to know how many ‘essential employees’ are missing at the Zeltweg location and how high the overtime burden is for the staff.

Laimer identifies a “systemic problem” caused by years of mismanagement by the ÖVP and inadequate resource planning in the Ministry of Defense. As is known, Tanner went on the offensive: due to the staff shortage among air traffic controllers, she demands that they also be responsible for the salaries of soldiers in the future. Currently, the civil service ministry BMKÖS led by Werner Kogler is responsible.

Retain staff with special contracts
The minister wants to convince military air traffic controllers to stay with special contracts. According to the military, their migration to the better-paying Austro Control is responsible for the Eurofighter not being able to fly last weekend, as the “Krone” first reported. According to Tanner, civilian air traffic controllers earn two and a half times as much and only have to work 32 hours a week. However, in the military, up to 77 hours of overtime per month would be required.

Tanner once again emphasized that it was important to ensure that “this” – i.e. the complete failure of active air traffic control because the few remaining air traffic controllers had to reduce overtime – would not happen again. “I don’t accept it like that either,” a clear order was given to the General Staff.