Air France-KLM low cost carrier scraps flights on strikes

Air France-KLM’s French low-cost carrier, Transavia, cancelled 15% of flights amid a dispute with cabin crew, exacerbating the chaos engulfing European air travel.

The airline is operating 85% of its flight program Wednesday, according to a spokesman. The SNPNC union, which had called for strike action over wages, said dozens of the company’s flights from Paris-Orly airport were pulled on the first day of a conflict that could drag on through Sunday.  

The labor group refused to sign a deal agreed to with other parties last month -- including the biggest CGT union -- because the accord included bonuses but no increases in base pay.

The disruption is the latest to hit a sector that’s plunged into crisis over a combination of surging demand for travel, staff shortages and labor disputes. The strikes are also a setback for Air France-KLM Chief Executive Officer Ben Smith, who has touted the labor peace that followed his taking of the helm as crucial for the turnaround of the carrier.