الكل
← Back to Squawk list
Air France pilots end strike
Air France pilots decided to end to a two-week strike that crippled the French airline, a union official told Reuters on Sunday. The dispute was over plans for a new low-cost operation, which triggered a walkout that has cost it up to 20 million euros (15.39 million pounds) a day. (uk.reuters.com) المزيد...
Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
Unions must realize that the LC carrier is here to stay and they had just as well accept them for what they are. Union's here in the U.S. do not offer the same bargaining split for mainline carriers and the regionals. It is what it is.
Two weeks of strike and nothing to show for it. I guess that will make the union bosses even more unpopular with the rank & file.
I got stuck in Bucarest because of this strike, was switched to Lufthansa via Munich to get home. I hadn't flown Lufthansa in a while, compared to Air France we got a cleaner plane, better service and meals at least as good. Even got a tasty vegetarian sandwich and free drinks included with the price for the 1h40min Bucarest leg. I guess Air France just lost a customer.
I got stuck in Bucarest because of this strike, was switched to Lufthansa via Munich to get home. I hadn't flown Lufthansa in a while, compared to Air France we got a cleaner plane, better service and meals at least as good. Even got a tasty vegetarian sandwich and free drinks included with the price for the 1h40min Bucarest leg. I guess Air France just lost a customer.
Well, they need to grab and protect their mainline guys because low cost, i.e. lower labor costs, are among the bedrock of LC carriers.
Of course, and competion is fierce in Europe. So far the low cost operator use strange out of the way airports for many of their flights, but are getting their foot into the door at more and more of the big hubs.
For out of the way airports I'm thinking for example of "Frankfurt Hahn", the former Hahn Air Base, about 120 km away from Frankfurt with bad road and public transport connection, or what Ryan Air calls Düsseldorf-Weeze airport, about 70 km away from Düsseldorf, the former RAF Laarbruch, only about 6 km from the Dutch border.
For the big players like Air France getting a low-cost subsidiary that can use the regular big hubs is thus very important for their survival. Lufthansa has been doing this for years with "Germanwings" or "Augsburg Airways" for example, and they are consistently making a profit.
For out of the way airports I'm thinking for example of "Frankfurt Hahn", the former Hahn Air Base, about 120 km away from Frankfurt with bad road and public transport connection, or what Ryan Air calls Düsseldorf-Weeze airport, about 70 km away from Düsseldorf, the former RAF Laarbruch, only about 6 km from the Dutch border.
For the big players like Air France getting a low-cost subsidiary that can use the regular big hubs is thus very important for their survival. Lufthansa has been doing this for years with "Germanwings" or "Augsburg Airways" for example, and they are consistently making a profit.
They had just as well get used to it as times are changing. Actually, they already have; AF is just late getting to the dance.
I agree. And the AF unions will have to realize they can either join the dance or kill their company.
Yeah, the rest of the world has and apparently AF management has. It's their turn. Like you said earlier, two weeks of strike and nothing to show for it. They have lost some credibility.
And the French public has realized too, there was remarkably little talk of "solidarity" by other unions or even left wing politicians.
