French pilots union SNPL has confirmed its planned month-long strike due to start tomorrow (May 3) has been called off.
Air France-KLM passengers had faced severe disruption as the pilots were threatening to strike for several hours each day in a dispute over "limits" on their right to industrial action.
The union had called on its members to walk-out for set periods of each day from May 3 to 30, in a dispute over its ‘right to strike’.
The union planned to strike for two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon.
Air France CEO Frederic Gagey said in a statement: "This is excellent news for both Air France customers and staff."
SNPL had called for industrial action because of a new law that forces pilots to give airlines 48-hours notice of any strike action, giving the companies time to draft in pilots from other airlines or to notify passengers of cancellations.
The union wanted the law repealed so that future strikes will have their intended effect of causing maximum disruption.
However, the strike was called off when France's Transport Minister Frederic Cuvillier assured SNPL that the law was set-up to notify passengers of cancellations, not to draft in replacements.
AirFrance.com