Air France has said it will abandon expansion plans for its low cost sister Transavia operation if its pilots agree to return to work.

 

Hundreds of Air France services have had to be cancelled following the strike call on September 15, with the total action said to have cost Air France tens of millions of euros after its pilots feared that relocations to Transavia could have resulted in lower pay rates applying to those affected at Transavia.

 

But in a statement from the company today – the tenth day of the strike – Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM, and Frédéric Gagey, Chairman and CEO of Air France have sought to reassure the pilots that this will not happen.

 

AIR FRANCE APPEAL TO PILOTS

In a joint appeal, they said: “Our Transavia project is a 100% pro-France project. It is about developing Transavia to encourage growth in France and quickly create more than 1,000 jobs in France (including 250 pilot jobs). With the withdrawal of the Transavia Europe project, there is now no reason to strike, because there are no longer any concerns about relocation. We therefore call on the striking pilots to return to work immediately.”

 

While the airline is hopeful that a positive result will come from this, it is still advising Air France passengers visiting the Aéroports de Paris website to cancel any trips until September 30

 

At the same time, Air France management has made the following three-point proposal to try and end the conflict:

1) Immediate withdrawal of the Transavia Europe project;

 

2) The further development of Transavia France in competitive economic conditions and accompanied by the safeguards as discussed in the negotiations so far;

 

3) In these conditions, Air France Management calls on the pilots to return to work immediately.