Flights at the Aeroparque Airport have been affected since yesterday by an unofficial air controllers’ strike. The National Administration of Civil Aviation (ANAC) announced that 20 % of today’s flights at Aeroparque need to be re-scheduled. There have been several cancellations and delays, and some flights have been re-directed to Ezeiza Airport.

The strike, while not an official measure approved by the air controllers’ union, was called for by a group of these workers as an act of solidarity with employees who were fired from the control towers at Aeroparque and at the Taravella Airport in Cordoba, Argentina.

The Association of Aeronautical Personnel (APTA) condones the strike and denounces the arbitrary and negligent actions of the Argentine Air Force, as well as the lack of proper government investment in airports. The official air controllers’ union (Atepsa), on the other hand, denies that there is an official strike and blames the delays and cancellations on a group of disgruntled workers.

A statement released by APTA and posted on their website accuses the Air Force and the ANAC of their role in firing “indispensable employees…with much experience” and of “not creating the necessary conditions that would allow employees to work in a safe environment.”

Officials for both the Ezeiza and Aeroparque airports have confirmed that as of midday today, flights will be taking off again.

Yesterday 146 flights were cancelled as a result of the volcanic ash. Lan cancelled 17 flights this morning and other airlines have warned that flights will not be taking off for the south of the country until further warning. The volcanic cloud is drifting northwards.

The volcano Puyehue, which erupted four months ago in Chile, is the source of the ash cloud that continues to disrupt air traffic.

Transportation Secretary, Juan Pablo Schiavi, has called for all passengers to “take care” with air travelling.

Many airlines, including Lan and Aerolineas, are recommending that travelers consult the company websites for flight information.

The return of volcanic ash to Buenos Aires will see cancellations until “at least 12pm”.  Ash from the Chilean volcano Puyehue fell in the city yesterday.

Jorge Newbery announced this morning that it would suspend all operations. The principle airline companies also independently cancelled their flights because of the presence of ash in the airspace.

They have released a statement saying “they are analysing the official information, but for now have decided to maintain flights suspended, until weather conditions improve.”

In contrast, flights leaving Ezieza have remained unaffected. Flights were cancelled yesterday afternoon by Aerolíneas Argentinas, Austral and Lan Argentina. Some delays are expected today due to the backlog in flights.

As ashes from Chile’s Puyehue volcano return yet again to Argentina, the domestic airport Aeroparque has cancelled all flights.

A spokesman for Aeropuertos Argentina said this morning that all Aerolíneas Argentinas and Austral flights from Aeroparque have been suspended, till at least midday.

He added that “seven arrivals and nine departures” had been cancelled at the international airport Ezeiza.

The centre of the country has been most affected by the ashes, and is proving the most difficult to get to by air.

The Aeroparque Airport (AEP)  in Buenos Aires will be closed from 11pm on 3rd November until 8pm on 1st December 2010.

Within that time period AEP will begin a work plan that will require an investment of US $70 million. The goal of the project is aimed to optimize the safety of the air station and to provide greater passenger service.

These works, which have not been renovated in 35 years, include the reconstruction of the runway, floor remodeling in the central sector to improve the presentation for new aircrafts on international flights and a groove to drain rainwater to prevent aircrafts from hydroplaning.

Other projects and construction plans involve the demolition of the old concrete, and the implementation of new technology to improve runways, grooved surfaces and new paint on runway tracks.

The plans for the expansion of the terminal will also be carried out along with completely renewing sectors for boarding and arrivals. First floor renovations will to enlarge the area for restaurants and businesses, while the ground floor will also expand and remodel the Duty free and migration sectors to expedite the processing of passengers. In the arrivals sector they will be increasing the surface of the baggage claim room and incorporating two modern baggage claim carousels.

Due to the anticipated renovations, the bulk of the 312 average daily flights operating out of AEP will be transferred to Ezeiza International Airport as well as air stations in El Palomar and San Fernando.

“Passengers should follow the instructions of the airlines as they will tell how far in advance they should go to their flights,” said Julio Scaramella, the head of the Directorate of Communications of Argentine Airports 2000. “They recommend arriving in Ezeiza accompanied by few people as possible to avoid any congestion in the parking lot or common areas of the terminals. We must continue to follow what they say because they all have a preset schedule for everything to run well.”

The airport manager of Argentine Airlines, Ricardo Lehmacher advises that passengers should arrive at Ezeiza three hours earlier, stressing the importance of timely arrivals and check ins as they will be much more strict with international flights to avoid missing flights, delaying flights and to keep the system running on time.

For passengers who wish to travel to destinations like Rosario, Mar del Plata and Santa Fe, travel may take longer to fly than by land.

“It all depends on what passengers choose. We try to encourage the use of bus transport,” explained Transportation Secretary, Juan Pablo Schiavi, to La Nacion. “For example, one company has already assured us that vans will run every 15 minutes exiting the center. Because bottlenecking can occur on the freeway at rush hour we’ve added more booths in the airport entrance.”

With the temporary closing of AEP for renovations of its runway and other projects and Ezeiza airport compensating their load, passengers are advised to budget more travel time and also to explore alternate modes of transportation for the next month.