FlySafair posts flight cancellations due to pilot strike

FlySafair has had to cancel 26 flights due to a labour strike by pilots.

The Solidarity trade union said more than 200 pilots affiliated to it want a 10% salary increase and improved working conditions. They have rejected the airline’s offer to workers of a 5.7% salary increase and adjustments to compensation.

In a statement issued at 11pm on Sunday, the airline said while its contingency plans should ensure flight operations continued largely as scheduled on Monday, “unfortunately a quantity of flights have had to be cancelled”.

“The flights were assigned to pilots who had confirmed their availability to fly, but who late last night reported they would not fly. All other flights are operating as planned, and affected customers have been contacted directly using details provided at the time of booking. Should there be further disruptions, customers will be notified promptly.”

The following flights were cancelled due to the pilots’ strike:

• FA112 — 11.45am Cape Town to Johannesburg
• FA262 — 2.25pm Johannesburg to Durban
• FA263 — 4.1pm Durban to Johannesburg
• FA310 — 7.20am Cape Town to Lanseria
• FA311 — 10am Lanseria to Cape Town
• FA690 — 3.15pm Cape Town to Johannesburg
• FA840 — 6.30am Cape Town to Bloemfontein
• FA841 — 8.40am Bloemfontein to Cape Town
• FA339 — 6.20am Cape Town to Lanseria
• FA315 — 9.20am Lanseria to Cape Town
• FA178 — 12pm Cape Town to Durban
• FA417 — 2.40pm Durban to Johannesburg
• FA418 — 4.3pm Johannesburg to Durban
• FA179 — 6.15pm Durban to Cape Town
• FA104 — 6.15am Cape Town to Johannesburg
• FA105 — 8.55am Johannesburg to Cape Town
• FA110 — 11.55am Cape Town to Johannesburg
• FA111 — 2.35pm Johannesburg to Cape Town
• FA540 — 7.45pm Johannesburg to Durban
• FA541 — 9.3pm Durban to Johannesburg
• FA306 — 11.30am Cape Town to Lanseria
• FA305 — 2.05pm Lanseria to Cape Town
• FA293 — 7am Cape Town to Johannesburg
• FA292 — 9.40am Johannesburg to Cape Town
• FA130 — 12.25pm Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
• FA031 — 2.30pm Port Elizabeth to Cape Town

FlySafair said Solidarity’s pay hike demand amounted to more than a 20% increase in overall cost to company, when the increase on base salaries and additional flight pay and bonuses were taken into account.

This “is an unsustainable escalation for any company”.

By contrast, the company’s offer on base pay and other benefits including a flight pay based bonus brings the total increase to 11.29% on a cost to company basis, Safair said.

FlySafair pilots are among the best-compensated professionals in the country, the airline said. Its captains earn between R1.8m and R2.3m annually.

“The salaries are regularly benchmarked against those at other local airlines and are higher than most. In terms of workload, FlySafair captains spent an average of 63 hours last month in the cockpit flying passengers. This is well within regulatory limits set by the Civil Aviation Authority, IATA and ICAO, which cap flight duty at 100 hours per month. Additional responsibilities such as training and office time are factored in, as is standby duty, where pilots must be ready to fly at short notice, which is served from home under minimal restrictions.”

FlySafair defended the rostering system it implemented at the start of the year, which is a bone of contention with the union.

“The system was designed to improve operational efficiency and provide pilots with maximum flexibility,” it said.

“The system — standard across the global airline industry and in force in every other airline in SA — allows pilots to receive their full monthly rosters by the 20th of the preceding month, enabling personal planning and scheduling. It also includes a preferential leave bidding process and a structured marketplace to facilitate duty swaps within regulated flight and duty limits.

“We deeply regret the impact the situation is having on our customers. Our goal remains to reach a reasonable resolution quickly.”

Disgruntled passengers took to social media to voice their unhappiness over the cancellations of flights. Rory Petzer posted on X: “This FlySafair strike is not ideal, but on the flip side, the last thing you want is an angry pilot.”

Naledi M posted: “Flysafair flights are being cancelled & delayed because pilots aren’t being paid. Meaning I could potentially not even make it home today I hate this airline even more now.”

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