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Iberia strike hits hundreds of flights
Pilots at Iberia have called a seven-day strike starting on today in protest at the company’s plans to start a low-cost airline.
The strike has been called by the SEPLA union and will mean reduced services between July 10-16.
At least 240 flights were reportedly cancelled today after last-ditch talks failed to persuade pilots that their jobs were not in danger.
Details of the cancelled flights between July 10-16 are being listed on the Spanish carrier’s website at www.iberia.com . The airline said it would refund the cost of tickets of change flights for passengers holding tickets for the July 10-16 period providing requests are made by July 30.
A spokesman for British Airways, Iberia’s codeshare partner, said Iberia has so far only announced its stoppages for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Heathrow-Madrid services, Iberia will only operate four of its seven daily flights, while BA will operate its five flights as normal.
On Heathrow-Barcelona, Iberia will fly only two of its four daily flights and BA will fly its usual four flights.
“Any booking through the trade that is for an Iberia flight has been queued back to the agent who will now have to re-book,” said the spokesman.
Catair, Iberia’s new low-cost airline, is expected to become one of Spain’s biggest carriers.
The airline plans to start flights in October with three aircraft serving national and international routes out of Barcelona.
In 2007, Catair plans to operate 14 aircraft, carrying five million passengers, and will double that again in 2008.
Planned new routes from Barcelona include Malaga, Seville, Amsterdam, Dublin, Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Lisbon, Oporto, and Moscow.
By Bev Fearis and Phil Davies
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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