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News > World

Air France Pilots End Strike

  • Half of Air France planes remained on land since September 15. (Photo: Reuters)

    Half of Air France planes remained on land since September 15. (Photo: Reuters) | Photo: Reuters

Published 28 September 2014
Opinion

Operations will normalize starting on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Air France pilots ended a two week strike that was in protest of cost cutting.

However, despite the strike ending, the deadlock between the company directors and the pilots over the contracts offered to Transavia airline pilots continues.

The strike, according to Air France, cost the airline about US$350 million and affected thousands of customers all over the world.

Due to the strike, half of the Air France planes remained on land since September 15. Operations will normalize starting Tuesday.

"It is our duty as union representatives to know when to end a strike, when we know there will not be any progress," the main Air France pilot union SNPL said. “We are asking pilots to resume flying, knowing that tensions are inevitable, to allow for the climate to calm down.”

The union demanded Air France offer the same contracts to Transavia and Air France pilots, regardless of where they are based.

Pilots fear that Transavia working conditions, which are less advantageous than those in Air France, will eventually prevail on both companies.

Air France announced this month that it will strengthen Transavia in order to compete against other popular low cost airlines in Europe, such as Ryanair.

A significant significant part of the business will be developed outside France.

Moments after the strike was called off, Air France announced on Sunday that it will speed up the development of Transavia.

“This ending of the conflict reinforces the company's determination to makes its economic model evolve in order to cement its leadership,” Air France said in a statement.

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