Airport Airline AirTraffic Strikes & Problems

Air Nippon Pilot Union Threatens Strike on February 1st

ANA Group regrets the threatened 24-strike on February 1st announced by its pilot unions and is continuing urgent negotiations with the unions concerned to avert industrial action and the disruption to passenger services it will cause.

Should the unnecessary strike go ahead, ANA will do everything possible to minimize the impact on passengers and services. No international flights will be affected. However domestic flights could regrettably be subject to cancellation and/or delay.

First published Jan. 16 January 30, National Strike in Belgium.

The three big trade unions in Belgium are calling for a general 24-hour strike on 30th January to protest against the social reforms.

At the moment, it is not yet clear what the impact will be on the airport, airlines, air traffic control.

We monitor the situation closely and will update you as soon as a reliable assessment of the impact on the airport can be made. 

UPDATE JAN 25: Belgium Pilots Organization calls for strike on January 30.

Google translation:

The Belgian pilots organization (BECA) calls on all airline pilots to participate in the general strike on January 30. This organization denounces what it calls "the incoherent government policies" around the plans and "a totally irresponsible reform project."
The call for discontinuation of BECA is an important signal. The organization represents approximately 800 airline pilots and aviation engineers. There is also great hindrance than January 30 is expected to air in Belgium.

UPDATE: Belgium's low cost airport Charleroi, used by cut-price carrier Ryanair, will be closed, a spokesman said, after Belgian unions said they would blockade the main entrance road to the terminal.

"There is only one access route to the airport," said Daniel Piron, general sectary of the Charleroi division of FGTB, an umbrella organisation of unions. "This access route will be blocked.

UPDATE: News about Brussels Airport Zaventem, click here.

Passport control, security checks, customs, luggage handling: Operations could be delayed due to staff shortage.

First flights already cancelled. Click here for info

Spanair shutdown strands 23,000 travelers

Spanair ceased operations early Saturday, stranding thousands of passengers, after a rescue deal fell through and a Spanish regional government halted funding.

Spanish flag airline Iberia and No. 2 and 3 Spanish carriers Vueling Airlines and Air Europa, along with Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and British discount carrier EasyJet, announced special-fare contingency plans to accommodate stuck Spanair passengers.

See the press release

French Air strike call Feb. 6, for further consultation

See also posting December 23.

Google Translation:

Air Transport Unions Thursday reiterated their opposition to the text tightening the conditions for exercising the right to strike, voted Tuesday in the Assembly, and continue their dialogue on the actions they lead in February, starting with a strike on February 6. "Act of circumstance inappropriate and unsuitable" for the CFDT Air. "Vote of hatred against the employees of the air," writes FOR Transport. "Law and populist pre-election" for the SNPL pilots. "An electoral law and a hoax," according to the UNSA-transport. Most unions in the air (pilots, flight attendants, ground staff but also service companies and airports) had filed a notice before Christmas strike of 6 to 9 February to counter the proposal of the UMP Eric Diard, whom they accuse of being "an infringement of the right to strike." Wednesday, they met again to decide what actions to take, with some preferring a strike call in four days, while others preferred a strike on February 6 and other days of action in favor of the legislative steps. The Senate must review the text on February 15. If he rejects, as is likely, there will be a joint committee, then the text will return to the Assembly for a final vote. "The notice of February 6 to 9 is maintained," he told the AFP Philippe Vivier, vice president of SNPL, the main pilots' union. "Now, we have also launched a consultation internally, with our members, to see if we can go beyond these dates," said M . Vivier. For Unac (CFE / CGC), union stewards and stewardesses, "the motto of the February 6 to 9 is maintained." "In the meantime, there may be contact with the Ministry of Labour MPs, but for now there was nothing of all this," suggests Frank Mikula, president of the Unac. The unions representing ground staff are leaving less for a four-day strike in a row. Ricatti David, spokesman for the CGT of Air France, however, said "part of a movement of 6 to 9." "There will, for sure, a highlight on the 6th, after that depend on the willingness of employees, a decision on a daily basis," he told AFP. CFDT and FOR-Air Transport have confirmed their call to strike "from February 6."

India - Kingfisher Airlines pilots threaten strike if salaries not paid

More than 200 pilots of the cash-strapped Kingfisher Airlines have threatened to strike work if their salaries for December are not paid by the end of this month, a deadline that the private carrier's promoter Vijay Mallya committed to earlier.

"We may not be available for flying duties in case our dues are not cleared in time," the pilots said in one of the many emails shot off to the CEO Sanjay Agarwal and EVP (operations and engineering) Hitesh Patel over the past few days.

44 Air India flights cancelled as pilots decline to operate

NEW DELHI: At least 44 Air India flights, including some from and to international destinations, were cancelled today as about 50 pilots reported for duty but did not operate flights protesting delay in payment of wages.

The government said a solution to the problem could be found only next week and most of the wages might be paid by next the end of next week.

36 flights were cancelled from Delhi till 5 PM and 8 from Mumbai.

Algeria. Strike threat of crew of Air Algeria

Google translation:

The crew of Air Algeria threatens to go on strike from January 31, said on Sunday at the National Union of Cabin Crew (SNPNC), which has already blocked in July 2011 and air traffic caused chaos at airports. The more than 900 flight attendants and stewards of Air Algeria in particular require the application of a wage agreement with management of the company following the suspension of a strike that had been place from July 11 to 14 last, has told AFP the president of the SNPNC, Yacine Hamamouche. A notice will be filed Monday and the crew could go on strike from January 31, he said.

UPDATE: Strike is cancelled

Strike at Air Caraïbes renewed

Google translation:

Air Caraïbes Atlantique, a company that makes trans-Atlantic routes between France and the Caribbean, have decided to extend their strike from Thursday to Sunday night, said Officer.

"The company plans to provide its entire program of long-haul flights Thursday, January 26 and is organized in order to minimize potential disruptions," said a statement from the company management. After the failure of negotiations with management, the strike will be extended "from Wednesday midnight, for 96 hours," said Emmanuel Skowron, delegate Unac (flight attendants), saying that this movement was "renewable".

The unions have suspended their two-day strike, which began Friday. Air Caraïbes Atlantique provides three to five daily flights between Orly and the West Indies and Guyana. The company is facing a revolt from union crew (pilots and flight attendants) requiring such wage increases.

See press release

UPDATE JAN 29: Strike at Air Caraíbes cancelled.
The French airline Air Caraïbes has reached an agreement with its employees on strike since last week, putting an end to this dispute.

Air Caraïbes

Air Canada, pilot talks break off, signaling labour strife ahead

Contract talks between Air Canada and its 3,000 pilots have broken off, signalling more labour trouble ahead for the country’s biggest carrier.

The two sides have been holding talks with the help of a federal conciliator since late November, but the pilots on Tuesday accused Air Canada of walking away from the table, starting the countdown to a possible strike or lockout.

Under federal law, the pilots and Air Canada now enter a 21-day “cooling off” period, before either party can take any further action that could include a lockout or strike.

US Airways Express Flight Attendants Move to Strike

US Airways Express Flight Attendants Move to Strike if Management Fails to Negotiate Contract.

Following a week of fruitless negotiations with PSA Airlines management, Flight Attendants at the airline, represented by th Association of Flight Attendantse (AFA), initiated a process that could lead to a strike if management fails to negotiate a new agreement.

Today, AFA requested th National Mediation Board (NMB) declare that negotiations are at an impasse and offer a proffer of arbitration which could lead to a 30-day cooling-off period and strike deadline. It's long past time for management to take these negotiations seriously. PSA Flight Attendants  have sent a loud and clear message to management that action will be taken if a new, improved agreement is not reached.

We are done playing games and are ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract that recognizes our meaningful role as first responders," said L.C. Acor, PSA AFA Vice President.

Planes expected to reroute following massive solar eruption

An immense blast of plasma spewed late Sunday night from the sun led to the strongest radiation storm bombarding our planet since 2005, and a rare warning from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency -- and even a plan to redirect certain high-flying airplanes.

"There is little doubt that the cloud is heading in the general direction of Earth," Spaceweather.com announced in an alert. The blast from the immense solar radiation storm let loose with a so called coronal mass ejection (CME) that will hit the atmosphere Tuesday morning, something NASA and NOAA monitor for as it could cause problems for astronauts, communications satellites, and even rocket launches.

“A preliminary inspection of SOHO/STEREO imagery suggests that the CME will deliver a strong glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 24-25 as it sails mostly north of our planet," SpaceWeather’s bulletin read. It could also affect navigation and the power grid.

Portuguese Air traffic controllers on strike in February

Google Translation:

Unions representing employees of NAV will deliver a notice of strike to a halt of two hours per shift between 8 and 12 February, announced today the Workers Committee (TC) of the company.

CT of the company responsible for air traffic control use, in a statement that the notice will be delivered on Tuesday.

To justify the decision, the TC said that "we can not admit that the government, inexplicably, keep the company without guidance and without strategic management, adding that, in economic terms, the options already taken will result in the loss of millions of euros in revenues and exports. "

Dublin Airport fire and police have voted in favour of industrial action.

Dublin Airport could be facing serious disruption over the next fortnight in a row over possible staff shortages.

The Sunday Business Post has reported that staff at the Dublin Airport Authority's fire and police service have voted by 78% in favour of industrial action.

It is expected that they would give the airport two week's notice of strike action.

If the fire service is withdrawn, the airport would be forced to shut down.

FARC attack on Colombia radar delays flights

An attack by Colombian FARC rebels on a radar installation in Cauca province delayed flights in the south of the Andean nation as well as some bound for neighboring Ecuador and Panama, the civil aviation authority said on Saturday.

Taiwan - Ground staff union threatens to go on strike at Kaohsiung airport

Ground staff at Kaohsiung International Airport in southern Taiwan on Thursday threatened to go on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday after the latest round of labor-management negotiations over a pay raise broke down.

This year's Lunar New Year holiday starts Jan. 21 and runs for nine days.

UPDATE JAN 20: Airport staff drop plan for strike in holiday period.
Ground staff at Kaohsiung International Airport yesterday scrapped a plan to go on strike during the Lunar New Year holiday, saying that they would resume talks with the airport services company’s management after the holiday.

Iberia faces more Pilot strikes from Jan. 25

Iberia (IB) is facing a new wave of strikes by its pilots represented by the SEPLA union, while ground workers and cabin crew have also voted for industrial action, although for different reasons.

Pilots will strike Jan. 25, Jan. 27 and Jan. 30 to protest company plans to create a lower-cost carrier, Iberia Express.

UPDATE JAN. 19: Iberia Announces Flights Cancelled Due To Strike

Iberia announced Thursday the flights that will be cancelled on January 25, 27 and 30 (complete list here) due to the pilots strike.

Iberia said it will facilitate changes in tickets and refunds to affected customers and “will do everything possible to place them on other Iberia flights, flights operated by other airlines, or alternative means of transport.”

ITALY – January 2012 Strikes

Transport is one of Italy's most strike-prone sectors, at the same time as being covered by legislation (law 146, 1990) regulating strikes in essential public services. A strike must be announced and because of the "announcement effect", a strike call can cause considerable disruption, even though the strike itself is cancelled.

27.01.12 13:30-17:30 Alitalia

27.01.12 12:00-16.00 Gesap Palermo

27.01.12 24hr. Meridiana Pilots

27.01.12 13:10-17:30 Società Aeroportuali Lazio

Iberia Employees Plan Strikes From Feb. 3

Unions representing 20,000 of Spanish airline Iberia ground and cabin staff will propose next week a plan to strike on Mondays and Fridays from Feb. 3.

The unions want Iberia to extend employment guarantees until the end of 2015 after setting up the lower-cost unit Iberia Express this year, the newspaper said.

UPDATE JAN 20: Iberia reaches agreement with most unions of the ground staff.

Air India cabin crew call off strike

Air India cabin crew personnel, who were on a strike for the past two days, have decided to go back to work after their sustenance allowance dues were partially paid today, sources said.

Cyprus Air traffic controllers announce strike

AIR traffic controllers yesterday announced two four-hour strikes later this month that will affect all flights to and from the Republic’s two airports because they want to be exempted from austerity measures put in place last year in a bid to save the ailing economy.

At the same time, a couple of political parties added their voice to calls from businesses who want legal regulation of strikes in essential services, to prevent the country from being held hostage by people “handling national wealth.”

They announced a four-hour strike from 1pm at the control towers of Larnaca and Paphos airports on January 18 and 25 – both Wednesdays – the busiest days of the week.

UPDATE JAN 23: Air traffic controllers suspend strike
Air traffic controllers' union directors have suspended a planned two-hour work stoppage at Larnaca and Paphos airports on Wednesday.

Nigeria Air transport to be grounded by Monday

Nigeria Air space will be closed and Air transport grounded by 12 midnight on Sunday. This is sequel to Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC,  directives that all affiliate unions should commence an indefinite strike on Monday, January 9, in response to the Federal government withdrawal of fuel subsidy on Petrol.

Air Zim workers strike

The national carrier owes its workers $5,6 million in unpaid salaries for nearly seven months.
The striking workers said over 1 400 of them were now struggling to make ends meet.

French airports to go on strike in February

French aviation workers' unions said on Thursday they would strike between Feb 6 and 9 to protest a government bill aiming to make it more difficult for the sector to take industrial action.

'All trades are united in this call: pilots, navigators, mechanics and ground staff,' Yves Deshayes of the main SNPL pilots' union told AFP.

The French parliament is on Jan 24 to debate the bill put forward by Eric Diard from President Nicolas Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party to legislate air strikes.

It notably requires each worker to give 48 hours notice if they are to join a strike.