PARIS: French flag carrier Air France was forced to scrap around 60 percent of flights Thursday, as unions rejected a fresh offer to end a strike now in its fourth day.
Pilots’ union SNPL slapped down as “largely insufficient” an offer from Air France to limit the operations of its low-cost subsidiary Transavia France, whose planned expansion has sparked the strike. Unions fear the company will seek to cut costs by running more low-cost Transavia flights, where pilots are paid less, at the expense of Air France operations.
Pilots are also worried that the plans will entail job losses as the company sets up bases outside of France and hires pilots locally. Air France has already offered to limit the Transavia France fleet to 30 planes – instead of the 37 previously expected.
