Iberia cancels 124 flights as pilots launch strikesApril 9, 2012 - 14:19 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Spanish airline Iberia said it had cancelled 124 flights on Monday, April 9, as pilots began a series of one-day strikes to protest against conditions at new low-cost offshoot Iberia Express, AFP reported. Pilots' union SEPLA has vowed to strike every Monday and Friday until July 20 - a total of 30 days - in its battle against the budget airline, which began flying on March 25. Iberia cancelled 124 flights, or 38 percent of the 330 scheduled services, a company spokeswoman said, affecting many passengers returning home after Easter holidays. An earlier string of 12 one-day pilot strikes in December, January and February forced about one-third of flights to be cancelled each day. Iberia estimated it cost the firm a total 36 million euros ($47 million). Iberia management and the pilots' union have failed to reach agreement over the launch of Iberia Express. SEPLA says the launch of Iberia Express breaches a work agreement. The union also says that management plans to transfer 40 aircraft from Iberia to the offshoot with the loss of 8,000 jobs. Iberia argues the union has shown an "irresponsible and intransigent" attitude and it launched National Court action on April 2 seeking to have the strike declared illegal, the airline spokeswoman said. A decision could take at least a month, she said. Management has reached agreements with most staff with the exception of pilots for the launch of Iberia Express, a budget offshoot serving short- and medium-haul routes. The low-cost carrier began with four Airbus A320 aircraft serving 17 routes, mostly Spanish destinations such as Ibiza, Palma de Majorca and Seville but also some European cities including Dublin, Naples and Amsterdam. Iberia Express forecasts that by the end of 2012 it will have carried 2.5 million passengers to more than 20 destinations with 14 planes and 500 staff. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |