Airlines are preparing for a Europe-wide air traffic control strike next Wednesday which could lead to mass flight disruption.

Germany’s air traffic controllers are planning to strike for one hour on January 29, in a show of support for an expected Europe-wide strike, their union boss told Reuters.

But he added that the German controllers could not do more without running the risk of legal action being taken against them.

The Air Traffic Controllers European Unions Coordination(ATCEUC), which represents 14,000 flight overseers across 28 European countries, has revived plans to strike over planned safety and savings targets by the European Commission, which it says could endanger the safe provision of services.