FRANCE: Air France pilots strike for a fourth day in a protest of the age of retirement

Record ID: 339398

  • Title: FRANCE: Air France pilots strike for a fourth day in a protest of the age of retirement
  • Date: 17th November 2008
  • Summary: VARIOUS PASSENGERS WALKING IN TERMINAL (3 SHOTS) AIR FRANCE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND
  • Embargoed: 2nd December 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Employment,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVA688CM1RSIYRA02H09X8KWTKN2
  • Story Text: Passengers are stranded at Paris airport as Air France pilots strike for a fourth day over government plans to change the age of retirement. If the law were to change, pilots could choose to work until they are 65 years old rather than the current 60 year-old limit.
    Air France pilots strike for a fourth day in a protest of the age of retirement.
    Pilots are protesting about a government plan to change the age of retirement to 65 years old instead of 60 years old.
    Some passengers at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport were not happy about the situation:
    "I've lived in Europe before and I understand that there are always differences, it's incredible, they can't tell you in advance which flights are going to be cancelled and how much the strikes will be disturbing.
    It is just terrible when you spend two or three days doing nothing but reviewing your travel plans. You're not able to make it and you are not able to make it to the destination you are supposed to go to." said American passenger Glan Bosco.
    The strike is due to last until midnight local time (11h00GMT) on Monday and will likely cost the airline 100 million euros ($124.9 million) according to Air France Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta.
    Passengers at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport were having to change their travelling arrangements:
    "For me what would be nice is for the SNCF to pay for the air fare that we have paid but it's not the case, they are sending us to Air France and we are waiting to see who will be able to take us home, Air France or the SNCF, we don't know." said Pascal Chibout.
    Air France is the French flag carrier network operated by Franco-Dutch airline group Air France-KLM.
    Transport officials have warned of severe disruption at French airports over the weekend due to the strike, called by some unions over plans to increase the retirement age to 65.
    Spinetta said the extension would be optional and pilots would still be able to retire at 60 if they wished.
    He said European safety authority EASA would in any case soon increase the maximum pilot retirement age to 65 and that France would have to fall in line with this measure.
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