Belgian Air Traffic Control Company Convicted of Age Discrimination in Hiring

In 2016, Anas believed he had every chance of landing a job as an air traffic controller at Skeyes due to his profile. However, he was faced with the company’s refusal to invite him for a job interview. And for good reason, a single criterion strikes him: "to be able to apply, you must be under 25 or 25 at the most." At the time, he was 30 years old.

Supported by Unia, the center for equal opportunities, Anas sued the air traffic controller Skeyes. The verdict is in: the company is convicted for age discrimination. The six other people concerned will all be compensated, specifies Belga.

"There was a form of self-discrimination of older people. They had difficulty finding employment, but they tended to justify and understand the attitude of employers," said Unia.

Explaining its decision, the Skeyes controller said that recruiting candidates over 25 could compromise the safety of air traffic. The issue is their cognitive performance.