Passengers were rebooked as much as possible, an AUA spokesman told APA on Friday. A jobs meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, which threatens further cancellations. Meanwhile, AUA parent Lufthansa is on strike in Germany until tomorrow.
The AUA program for next Thursday theoretically has 304 flights, which would carry 31,000 passengers. Either way, failures are expected again. It is not yet possible to accurately estimate how many flights will be canceled and how much will be compensated through rebookings and rebookings, which are currently being assessed. “We are doing everything we can to inform our passengers as quickly as possible and operate as many flights as possible,” the spokesperson said.
In any case, today's flight cancellations would have affected 12,800 passengers and cost AUA 4 million euros. The AUA is taking legal action against the proposed works meeting as illegal.
The backdrop for the jobs meeting is the stalled collective agreement negotiations with AUA on-board employees. Ideas for salary increases vary widely between employers and employees. Employers offer an additional 4.5 percent and promise more if the tenure is longer. On the other hand, the union is demanding 30 percent more salary and more vacation and other things.
At German AUA parent Lufthansa, a warning strike by ground staff that has been ongoing since Thursday will continue until tomorrow. The Verdi union has called on Lufthansa workers at Hamburg Helmut Schmidt Airport to take industrial action by 7:10 a.m. on Saturday. As for the airport, affected passengers are encouraged to contact the airline to learn about cancellation and rebooking options.
Austria's results have so far been more manageable. An AUA spokesperson said scheduled flights from Germany are currently operating as scheduled, according to Vienna Airport.
