Air-traffic controller-pilot lingua franca 'must be English', even if both are Spanish, says EU rule

The rule only affects airports with over 50,000 international flights operating per year, meaning Madrid's Adolfo Suárez-Barajas and Barcelona's El Prat will become 'English-only', but many others, such as those in the Canary and Balearic Islands, will still be able to choose the language they wish to speak in.

Aiming to streamline communications for maximum security, pilots and air-traffic controllers having to speak English is not a problem, since being able to do so fluently is a basic requirement of their job.

But pilot unions in Spain SEPLA and USCA say it is 'ludicrous' to require this when both pilot and air-traffic controller are native Spanish-speakers.

Captains on board Iberia, Vueling and AirEuropa – all three being Spanish carriers and typically staffed with natives – will have to talk to the control towers in Barcelona and Madrid, also staffed with natives, in English.

USCA and SEPLA criticise the fact that the move 'has not taken into account' the 'criteria' of the professionals involved, and that using a language which is a foreign tongue to both rather than the native one they share 'is unlikely to bring about any potential air safety improvements'.

Also, the unions say previous research by the State Air Safety Agency (AESA) has shown that in a crisis situation where fast thinking and action is vital, it is better for the people involved to use their mother tongue to communicate in order to avoid misunderstandings or split-second delays that could 'compromise security in delicate circumstances'.

“We speak English every day and will carry on doing so whenever the situation requires it,” says USCA secretary Luis Vidarte, “but professionals should be allowed to choose the moment when they consider it more convenient to switch to their mother tongue.”

USCA and SEPLA also point out the irony of a situation which means pilots from Spain can speak Spanish to air-traffic controllers anywhere in Latin America, given that natives share the same language, but cannot use it when speaking to each other in Spain.

“For effective communication, which of course, is the ultimate aim, the best solution is, without doubt, for air-traffic controllers and pilots to use the native language they have in common,” say the unions.

SEPLA was due to meet with Spain's public works ministry, which covers transport affairs nationally, some time this week.