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Air France to resume talks with striking pilots | |
(about 9 hours later) | |
Air France has said it will resume talks with striking pilots in a row over pay and conditions. | |
A spokesman said the company wished "to reach a rapid resolution to the conflict". | |
Earlier French transport secretary, Alain Vidalies, caused confusion by saying that plans to expand its Transavia low-cost airline had been dropped, following the 10-day strike. | |
But this was swiftly denied by Air France. | |
The airline said the announcement was "premature", and that it had only proposed to suspend the scheme. | |
Pilots are unhappy at the lower rates of pay offered by the expanding budget operation compared with core Air France services. | |
The strike has been costing the airline up to 15m euros (£11.8m) a day. | The strike has been costing the airline up to 15m euros (£11.8m) a day. |
On Wednesday, Air France said it expected to operate just 47% of its flights on Thursday as a result of the strike, in which over half of its pilots are involved. | |
The budget airline Transavia, owned by Air France KLM, currently operates a fleet of 30 planes and carried 6.5 million passengers in 2013. | The budget airline Transavia, owned by Air France KLM, currently operates a fleet of 30 planes and carried 6.5 million passengers in 2013. |
Air France had been planning to expand the brand, and move some Air France jobs to the revamped airline. | Air France had been planning to expand the brand, and move some Air France jobs to the revamped airline. |
Earlier this month, Air France announced its intention to more than double the number of passengers carried on Transavia by 2017, and expand its operations outside France. | Earlier this month, Air France announced its intention to more than double the number of passengers carried on Transavia by 2017, and expand its operations outside France. |
On Monday, Air France offered to freeze plans to expand the budget airline, but the pilots' union SNPL rejected the offer, describing the move as a "smokescreen". | On Monday, Air France offered to freeze plans to expand the budget airline, but the pilots' union SNPL rejected the offer, describing the move as a "smokescreen". |
Air France's chief executive Alexandre de Juniac has said the strike is "disastrous" for the airline. | Air France's chief executive Alexandre de Juniac has said the strike is "disastrous" for the airline. |
His warning was echoed by Mr Vidalies, who said on Sunday that the fate of Air France was "at stake" in the dispute. The government has a 16% stake in the airline. |