Scandinavian airline SAS has dropped hundreds of Sunday flights as a pilot strike stretches, agitating tens of thousands of passengers.
On Friday, Pilots went on strike in a wage dispute, prostrating almost 70% of the airline’s flights and kicking some 170,000 people in a week’s time.
SAS in a statement said:
“We profoundly grieve that our customers are influenced by the ongoing pilot strike”.
On Sunday, as 587 flights been dropped, affecting almost 64,000 passengers.
Torbjoern Lothe at the Norwegian Confederation of Enterprise, an employers’ association, responding to the Reuters said:
“We believe the unions have to confront reality and reopen talks”.
One of two SAS pilot unions in Norway, Norsk Pilotforbund, said it had had no contact with the airline.
Rawaz Nermany [chairman of the Swedish Airline Pilots Association] said:
For SAS, we are anticipating to get in touch and show a real will to address the issues that are essential to us. Meanwhile, Pilots in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark had been on a strike.
Almost 72,000 passengers got attacked as 670 flights were canceled on Friday. Further on Saturday, the cancellation struck extra 34,000 people.
The protest of pilot results after negotiations over work schedules and payment which started last month smashed down.
Majority of Domestic, European and certain long-distance flights have been canceled. However, the strike shows no effect on flights operated by SAS partners, departures resulting in nearly 30%.
The buyers who booked the flight already, have been suggested to check if their flight is hit because of the strike.
Outcome
SAS wants to enter into an agreement so that the strike will go calm down. Also, signals if the pilots’ demands were met it would have very negative consequences for the airline.
As the Pilots are striving to ensure a 13% pay increase. Currently, they receive an average of 93,000 Swedish crowns (£7,500) per month.
The pilots’ protest against the robust business conditions for SAS. Presently it’s renovating its sinking plane fleet and handles rising controversy from budget warships such as Ryanair, Easyjet, and Norwegian.
As stated the airline for its first quarter resulted in a great loss but it still expects to record earnings for the year.
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