Brussels Airlines Cancels More Flights to Ease Staff Workload

[In The News]

DALLAS – Brussels Airlines (SN) has announced that it is to cancel more flights in order to ease the pressure on its workforce. The move follows a meeting between SN management and trade unions on Monday, July 4.

“Today we are clearly meeting the demand of the unions. We hope to be able to rule out further actions definitively and to give our passengers a real guarantee,” a spokesperson for SN said in a statement.

Airbus A320 (OO-SND) in the ‘Aerosmurf’ livery. Photo: Brussels Airlines

Three-Day Strike

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Unions have been lobbying on behalf of SN Pilots and Flight Attendants over the “unacceptable working conditions” within the airline. The cancellations, it is hoped, will satisfy these demands, albeit temporarily.

SN crews carried out a three-day strike on June 23, 24, and 25 and threatened further action if the management did not listen to their grievances.

In total, 675 flights will be canceled: 372 in July and 303 in August. This represents 6% of its flight schedule for July and 5% for August. Financially, it will mean a loss of revenue of approximately €10m (US$10.4m). This is comparable to the losses incurred during the strike, which saw 316 flights canceled.

The airline unveiled its new livery in November 2021. Photo: Brussels Airlines

“Open to Discussion”

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These latest cancellations follow an announcement in June that 148 flights would be removed from the airline’s schedule over a five-week period in June and July.

Airline management and trade unions will meet again for further consultation on August 23. In a statement, SN said that it “remains open to discussions with the trade unions.”

The meeting will be to discuss a long-term solution to the issue that has plagued the airline since the signing of a collective labor agreement in 2020 to guarantee SN’s future following the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Featured Image: Brussels Airlines Airbus A319 (OO-SSO). Photo: Brussels Airlines

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