Air France pilots threaten to continue strike next week

Air France pilots are threatening to continue their strike next week if the company does not give in to their demands. At least 60 per cent of flights were to be cancelled on Thursday.

Passengers at Nice International airport earlier this week Reuters/Eric Gaillard

The largest pilots’ union, the SNPL, is organising a ballot of members about whether to continue after 22 September, when it is due to end at the moment, its president, Jean-Louis Barber, told Le Monde newspaper on Thursday.

The dispute centres on conditions of pilots working on Air France’s low-cast arm, Transavia.

Unions believe the company is preparing to relocate some pilot’s jobs to other European countries, pointing out that the Transavia Europe subsidiary is registered in Portugal.

On Tuesday the company pledged not to extend Transavia beyond 30 planes, rather than the 50 initially planned, up until 2019.

Air France-KLM boss Alexandre de Juniac on Wednesday promised that Transavia Europe will not fly to towns in France already served by Transavia France and proposed to draw up details of where Transavia France, Transavia Holland and Transavia Europe would operate with unions.

Unions accuse the company of underestimating the number of pilots on strike – they say 75 per cent are not working, compared to Air France’s figure of 60 per cent – and of downplaying the disruption to services.

De Juniac said that 42 per cent of flights would operate on Thursday – up one per cent on the day before – and estimated that the company lost 30-45 million euros in the three days of strike so far.