EVEN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FOR SALE?

The Hungarian air transport has three main components: Malév company, Budapest Airport company, and HungaroControl, responsible for air traffic control. The attempts to privatize the first two companies have been frustrated so far in scandalous circumstances.

According to the informations of Magyar Nemzet the Ministry of Economy and Transport plans to reorganize HungaroControl (so far operating as a budget company) as a limited liability company from January 1, 2006. The trade unions suspect a hidden privatization in the plan. The Ministry wants to conclude a contract with this one-man company for an unlimited time or at least for five years. The company would own all the properties permitted by the law. The reorganization affects the flight meteorology service, too. With the reorganization the status of the employees would not be that of civil servants anymore.

The ministry explains the plan by the necessity to organize air traffic control in a more efficient way. Though the four trade unions had requested Minister János Kóka to include them in the preparatory talks, their appeal has remained unanswered. The reorganization affects 700 people. The trade unions claim the company has been operated at breakeven so it is hardly imaginable it could be operated to make profits, not to mention the national security risks of the plan. Judit Tóth, spokesperson of the ministry said to Magyar Nemzet the bill would go before the government until October 31 and there was no intention to privatize HungaroControl.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó