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Air France strike disrupts Vienna flights

The Local Austria
The Local Austria - [email protected]
Air France strike disrupts Vienna flights
Photo: APA (epa)

Following Lufthansa's strike last week, pilots at French national carrier, Air France, have now also stopped work.

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Starting Monday, more than half of all Air France flights have been cancelled, including three to and from Vienna.

The cancellation announcement was made on Sunday night's "Evening Journal" program on ORF radio.

The three flights would normally depart Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for Wien-Schwechat, with corresponding return flights at 10:05, 16:00 and 20:10.

Around 60 percent of Air France pilots will not turn up to work this week.

The French Pilot's Union (SNPL) stated on Sunday evening that negotiations with company management had ended unsuccessfully.

The SNPL called for a week long strike against the planned expansion of Air France's low-cost subsidiary, Transavia.

"We are not satisfied at all," declared union leader Jean-Louis Barber after Sunday's talks.

Air France advised passengers planning to travel between 15-22 September to rebook their flights free of charge or to cancel their travel.

The Pilot's Union fears jobs will be lost and working conditions worsen if plans go ahead for short and medium haul flights to be undertaken by Transavia.

A seven-day strike would be the longest work stoppage in the history of Air France, with CEO Frédéric Gagey, estimating daily losses to the company would amount to some 10 to 15 million.

Union leader Barber warned the situation could worsen on Tuesday and Wednesday, as pilots who worked on Monday took their breaks.

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