South Africa's low-cost airline Freisafaa (FA, Johannesburg or Tambo) has been forced to cancel 12% of its flights scheduled for July 21.
The airline said the disruption had previously confirmed availability but affected flights assigned to pilots who retreated late July 20.
Kirby Gordon, chief of FlySafair Marketing, told SAFM Radio: “The majority of flights will still operate on time according to the schedule, but there are around 12% (affected). Details of these flights are available on the travel update page on our website.”
Last week, the airline actively reshuffled its flight schedule prior to legally approved industrial measures to avoid flight disruption.
The strike, led by the Solidarity Trade Union, which claims that nearly two-thirds of Flysafair's pilots are its members, follows the collapse of negotiations over wage disputes. The pilot is demanding a 10.5% increase in base salary along with additional wages and bonuses. Fry Sapphire says it will effectively increase if the total cost increases by more than 20%, at a level that airlines describe as “unsustainable.”
FlySafair fought back with a 5.7% increase (1.5% above inflation), along with additional benefits and bonuses. Defending the compensation package, the captain earns between 1.8 million Saar and R2.3 million Saar (USD 102,000-130,000), placing it in the country's top 1% winners.
The strike was also introduced earlier this year, with a focus on the airline's roster system, to streamline scheduling and increase pilot predictability. FlySafair says the system will increase flexibility to meet global standards, but the union raised concerns that it will undermine pilot welfare.
“The Fly Safia Captain spent an average of 63 hours on passengers in cockpit flights last month, which limits its flight mandatory 100 hours per month within the regulatory restrictions set by the SA Civil Aviation Authority, IATA and ICAO,” the airline said.
However, solidarity said the Frey Safaa pilots “feeling exhausted, ignored and unappreciated.” Deputy General Secretary of Solidarity, Helgaard Kronge said they have experienced the growth of burnout and that relationships between the crew and management are getting worse.
Solidarity accused FlySafair of missing out on the opportunity to resolve the dispute over the weekend, agreeing only to resume this week's arbitration meeting, and agreeing only amidst public pressure. While 90% of pilots with the airline's union claimed they were ready to strike for just one day, FlySafair claimed they escalated the standoff by launching a seven-day lockout. Solidarity warned that the disruption could last up to two weeks, prompting a quick return to negotiations.
FlySafair continues to be committed to constructive dialogue and is working to minimize disruption. The company regretted and reaffirmed the inconvenience caused by balancing fair treatment of its staff with financial sustainability.
