The air traffic controllers' strike began and thousands of passengers were affected.

Due to the start of the first phase of the strike called by the Association of Air Navigation Protection and Safety Technicians and Employees (ATEPSA), airlines were forced to reschedule and cancel flights nationwide. The wage dispute between the union representing air traffic controllers and employers affected more than 8,000 Aerolíneas Argentinas passengers.

The nationwide protest was held due to the failure of recent wage negotiations with the Argentine Air Navigation Company (EANA) and will continue gradually throughout the remainder of August. The National Government condemned the strike, asserting that it " affected an essential service guaranteed by law and the operations of the aeronautical system ."

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— EANA SE (@EANAoficial) August 22, 2025

" Following the conclusion of the last compulsory conciliation, EANA participated in 17 hearings in recent weeks alongside the other stakeholders involved in this process, but it was impossible to reach any kind of agreement with the ATEPSA union due to its intransigent stance ," EANA said in a statement.

The organization stated that the strike "evidences a clear intention to extort and restrict the freedoms of all Argentines " and emphasized that they offered raises of up to 15% during negotiations, but that these were rejected by union leadership "so that particular and partisan interests prevail over those of the workers as a whole ."

The strike will affect takeoffs exclusively, as air traffic controllers are responsible for restricting departure authorizations for aircraft and surface vehicles and suspending the reception and transmission of flight plans.

ATEPSA's plan is to implement five days of restrictions in different parts of the day. The first day of the strike took place on Friday, August 22 , between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and then from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; on Sunday, August 24 , traffic controllers will stop during the same time slot. On Tuesday, August 26, the strike will take place between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., and in the afternoon, between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.; on Thursday, August 28 , it will take place between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.; and the last day will be Saturday, August 30 , when the strike will resume again between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., and from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.