A surprise strike by pilots at state-owned airline Aerolíneas Argentinas and sister company Austral is causing severe travel disruption today. The strike action – motivated by a dispute over wages – was decided yesterday evening by the Association of Airline Pilots (ALPA) and is expected to continue until 12pm today (Friday). Dozens of flights departing today from Buenos Aires – both domestic and international – have already been cancelled, with other services likely to be delayed on suspended (check here for latest information). Late last night, Aerolíneas Argentinas advised travellers on flights scheduled before 12pm not to go to the airport until it announces that services had been resumed. In a press statement, the airline called on union leaders to “return to the table of dialogue so as to avoid these serious measures that are detrimental to passengers and the company.”However, a statement by ALPA claimed that the union had spent “months seeking an answer to demands to recover the value of pilots’ income that has been lost due to the inflation registered since the last wage increase in September 2015.”Share On

Source: The Argentina Independent September 16, 2016 10:41 UTC