EgyptAir pilots end strike after reaching agreement with company - sources

Sunday 15-05-2016 12:38 PM

A plane at Cairo International Airport. Reuters archive

CAIRO, May 15 (Aswat Masriya ) – A strike by EgyptAir pilots, which resulted in the cancellation or delay of 40 flights in the past five days, has ended on Sunday, according to sources in the Egyptian airline. 

A number of pilots had announced on Wednesday that they were on strike to demand higher pay and improved working conditions. 

In line with the go-slow, pilots apologised for cancelling their flights on the pretexts of being overworked, sick and exhausted. Others reported that the planes were undergoing technical failures. 

But sources told Aswat Masriya that officials at the flag carrier succeeded in ending the crisis, and that flights have been resumed. 

The management reached an agreement with pilots entailing that their pay will be gradually raised by 40 per cent over two years, with a 22 per cent increase starting this July and 18 per cent in July 2017, the sources added. 

EgyptAir has been facing losses of over EGP 11 billion (around $1.2 billion) since air traffic has significantly decreased due to a decline in the tourism industry since the 2011 Uprising.

facebook comments