Air France strike: Airline cancels 15 percent of flights on Thursday
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 2 May, 2018 CET.
Updated: Wed 2 May 2018 15:32 CET
Air France has been forced to cancel 15 percent of its flights on Thursday due to the ongoing staff strikes over a pay dispute.
Travellers in France may be facing some more travel headaches on Thursday.
Air France said on Wednesday that 85 percent of its flights will be operating, including 78 percent of long-haul flights, more than 80 percent of its flights to and from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and nearly 90 percent of its short-haul flights.
Air France has not ruled out disturbances and delays during the day and has advised customers to check the information on operated flights 24 hours before departure on its website.
On Thursday -- the 12th day of industrial action in the ongoing pay dispute -- the rate of strikers is estimated at 18.8 percent for pilots, 18 percent for cabin crew and 10 percent of ground staff.
And while the cancellations might sound bad -- especially if you're planning to fly -- the situation is looking a lot better than on recent strike days when the airline was forced to cancel around a quarter of its flights.
Staff and management at the French carrier have been locked in a dispute over pay since February.
Unions say workers deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have returned the carrier to operating profitability, after seeing their wages effectively frozen since 2011.
Management says it cannot afford their demands of a 5.1 percent increase this year, saying it would undo the benefits of the restructuring efforts.
Company heads are currently trying to put an end to the dispute by launching an internal consultation with employees, asking them directly whether they would be willing to accept the deal proposed on April 16th which was rejected by unions.
On 20th April, CEO of the company, Jean-Marc Janaillac put his resignation in the balance, saying he would quit his job if his employees voted against the offer.
The results of this consultation are expected on Thursday evening.
READ ALSO:
-
UPDATED calendar: When to avoid train and plane travel in France this spring
-
French strikes: What can I do to avoid plane or train travel misery?
Photo: AFP
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Travellers in France may be facing some more travel headaches on Thursday.
Air France said on Wednesday that 85 percent of its flights will be operating, including 78 percent of long-haul flights, more than 80 percent of its flights to and from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and nearly 90 percent of its short-haul flights.
Air France has not ruled out disturbances and delays during the day and has advised customers to check the information on operated flights 24 hours before departure on its website.
On Thursday -- the 12th day of industrial action in the ongoing pay dispute -- the rate of strikers is estimated at 18.8 percent for pilots, 18 percent for cabin crew and 10 percent of ground staff.
And while the cancellations might sound bad -- especially if you're planning to fly -- the situation is looking a lot better than on recent strike days when the airline was forced to cancel around a quarter of its flights.
Staff and management at the French carrier have been locked in a dispute over pay since February.
Unions say workers deserve to benefit from years of belt-tightening that have returned the carrier to operating profitability, after seeing their wages effectively frozen since 2011.
Management says it cannot afford their demands of a 5.1 percent increase this year, saying it would undo the benefits of the restructuring efforts.
Company heads are currently trying to put an end to the dispute by launching an internal consultation with employees, asking them directly whether they would be willing to accept the deal proposed on April 16th which was rejected by unions.
On 20th April, CEO of the company, Jean-Marc Janaillac put his resignation in the balance, saying he would quit his job if his employees voted against the offer.
The results of this consultation are expected on Thursday evening.
READ ALSO:
- UPDATED calendar: When to avoid train and plane travel in France this spring
- French strikes: What can I do to avoid plane or train travel misery?
Photo: AFP
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