Egypt

EgyptAir pilots end protest after 12 flights delayed

EgyptAir pilots ended a sit-in at Cairo International Airport Thursday over pay and conditions following meetings with Civil Aviation Minister Wael al-Maadawy.

Maadawy promised pilots he would study their demands and discuss terms with a staff delegation, according to pilots and an EgyptAir official.

Flights suspended by the protests would fly soon, the official added.

Some 12 flights were earlier delayed.

The flights were heading to Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Accra, Amsterdam, Baghdad, Casablanca, Madrid, Manchester and Tunisia, an airport source revealed.

Although the flights were delayed for just a few minutes, the crisis could continue, company sources warned Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Pilots had earlier demanded better workplace conditions, application of tighter financial regulations and new company management.

EgyptAir bosses are unpopular with swathes of the workforce, the pilots claim.

“The pilots submitted their demands to their captain who discussed them with the Minister Wael al-Maadawy several weeks ago,” a pilot said on Thursday morning.

Pilots’ demands are not only financial but administrative too, he claimed.

“Pilots want the dismissal of the head of EgyptAir and the appointment of a consensus president."

Dismissing the current management of EgyptAir and the appointment of a new one would not be that difficult, the pilot added.

“There will be negative repercussions if the pilots’ demands are ignored," he warned.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm

Related Articles

Back to top button