Easyjet’s Spanish pilots left the company on Friday, demanding a return to the conditions they had before the coronavirus pandemic, two weeks after a cabin crew strike at the low-cost airline led to a deal.
At the peak of the summer tourist season, the new Easyjet stops will add to the problems the sector is facing.
Budget competitor Ryanair’s cabin crew have been waging 24-hour strikes since June that are expected to last until January 2023, unions said.
For their part, Easyjet pilots are staging a first three-day strike at the airports of Barcelona, Malaga and the Mediterranean islands of Palma de Mallorca and Menorca starting Friday, the SEPLA union said.
Two more three-day strikes are planned later in August.
“This is the only viable alternative for the pilots’ representatives after more than six months of negotiations during which the company has rejected all proposals,” the union said.
The airline canceled eight flights on Friday, most of them from Barcelona, Spain’s second busiest airport.
“During the worst months of the pandemic, we agreed to reduce our salaries not only to safeguard jobs but also the survival of the company itself in Spain,” the union said.
Now, however, the company refuses to restore working conditions.
“We’re not asking for anything we didn’t have two years ago,” said a union spokesman.
In late July, EasyJet said it had suffered significant financial damage from industry-wide disruptions, particularly staff shortages, but still cut quarterly losses as demand recovered.
Just days later, EasyJet cabin crew ended their strike after reaching an agreement with management for a 22 percent wage increase over three years.
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