sky

A conflict that threatened to undo a 15-year merger at Europe’s largest airline may be unwinding. KLM CE Pieter Elbers signed off Friday on a governance plan proposed by Air France-KLM CE Ben Smith that reinforces cooperation between the airlines without changing their structures, La Tribune reported. The plan includes appointing Elbers and Air France CE Anne Rigail as Air France-KLM deputy CEs and may be presented at Tuesday’s Air France-KLM board meeting, according to the newspaper, which didn’t say where it got the information. A person familiar with the plans said Sunday discussions were on the right track to resolve the issue. There is no deal yet, the person said. Air France-KLM has been facing a revolt from its Dutch arm just as it looks set to turn the page on labour strife at its French entity last year <br/>

The 7-day strike by China Airlines’ pilots ended Feb 14, as the airline met most demands by pilots, represented by the Taoyuan Pilots Union, on better fatigue management on long-haul flights and better benefits. The strike began Feb 8, affecting around 20,000 passengers, with more than 136 flights canceled. The strike cost the carrier an estimated US$16m in revenue. Passengers may apply for compensation, which is capped at $250. CAL president Hsieh Shih-chien and the union’s chairperson Lee Hsin Yen signed a collective agreement, which guarantees no strike action for 3.5 years and states that future disputes will be resolved through arbitration. During the fourth round of negotiations, the airline agreed to the union’s primary demands of allocating more pilots for long-haul flights. <br/>