French pilots’ four-day strike between February 6 and 9 against government bill restraining the right to strike is estimated to cost Air France up to EUR100 million (US$132.7 million).

Air France said earlier it expected to maintain 60 per cent of long-haul flights and 70 per cent of short and medium-haul flights. But the impact seemed to be more severe as many last-minute cancellations came in the past few days.

A spokesman for the SNPL, the French union of airline pilots, told London’s International Freighting Weekly that more than half of Air France’s pilots joined the strike and were being supported by cabin crew and ground staff.

“We expect Air France’s long-haul schedule on Wednesday and Thursday to be hit harder than it has been until now falling to below 50 per cent of flights maintained.”

Representatives of the SNPL and other unions will meet France’s Transport minister to discuss the bill. “We are calling for it to be withdrawn and if our demands are not met, we have a mandate from our members to call for further strike action. Another four-day stoppage later this month can’t be ruled out,” the spokesman said.

The bill would insist that every worker in air transport industry make individual declarations of his or her participation in a strike 48 hours before its commencement to allow airlines activate contingency plans.

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