In a new sign of union tension aimed at destabilizing Javier Milei's government, five aeronautical unions held an assembly this Monday at 11 a.m. at Jorge Newbery Aeroparque.
The protest sought to highlight the rejection of the national government's DNU 378/2025, which modifies the labor regime for pilots, cabin crew, and aeronautical personnel.
The unions participating are the Asociación del Personal Aeronáutico (APA), the Unión del Personal Superior y Profesional de Empresas Aerocomerciales (UPSA), the Asociación Argentina de Aeronavegantes (AAA), the Asociación de Técnicos y Empleados de Protección y Seguridad a la Aeronavegación (Atepsa), and the Asociación de Trabajadores del Estado en la ANAC (ATE ANAC). The stated objective is to warn about the "deterioration of working conditions" in the sector.
What changes with the new DNU
Aeronautical unions protest at Aeroparque and could affect flights | La Derecha Diario
Decree 378/2025, signed by President Javier Milei, repeals decree 877/2021 and modifies key points of the aeronautical labor regime. Among the main changes, the following stand out:
Increase in maximum flight hours: from 8 to 10 per day and from 800 to 1,000 per year.
Reduction of weekly rest: from 36 to 30 hours.
Elimination of the 45 accumulable vacation days: now it will be 15 consecutive days.
Transfer and waiting time is no longer considered part of the service.
Although the entry into force was scheduled for July, a subsequent resolution (402/2025) extended the deadline to 90 days to facilitate the airlines' transition.
Potential impact on flights
Aeropuertos Argentina stated that the protest shouldn't affect passenger flow, but acknowledged that the possibility of delays and disruptions to flights can't be ruled out due to the magnitude of the assembly. The protest is taking place on one of the busiest travel dates of the year.
Mandatory conciliations and rising tension
Today's measure adds to an already heated climate. Atepsa, the union representing air traffic controllers, had launched ten days of work-to-rule actions that would have paralyzed takeoffs nationwide during July. However, the mandatory conciliation with Empresa Argentina de Navegación Aérea (EANA) temporarily deactivated that offensive.
Aeronautical unions protest at Aeroparque and could affect flights | La Derecha Diario
Meanwhile, the Asociación de Pilotos de Líneas Aéreas (APLA), led by Kirchnerist Pablo Biró, had called for a national strike on July 19, also postponed after the intervention of the Ministry of Labor.
Aerolíneas Argentinas, the main target of the measures, publicly questioned the union's attitude. "This action once again highlights the use of citizens' travel plans as a tool for union pressure," the company said in a statement, accusing the leaders of hindering the effort to maintain the company's economic sustainability.
Claims over layoffs and wage loss
Beyond the DNU, union discontent also focuses on the economic impact on workers. According to Marcelo Belelli, from ATE ANAC, at least 100 layoffs have already been recorded in the agency since the start of the libertarian government. In addition, the unions report a 45% wage lag compared to accumulated inflation.
Although the government managed to deactivate 11 industrial actions through mandatory conciliations, the union organizations insist on making their rejection of the structural reforms promoted by the Milei administration in the aeronautical sector visible.
The assembly this Monday, which will include a press conference, seeks to keep the claim on the agenda and pressure for a review of the regulations before their final implementation.
La Derecha Diario 
