The main French airlines do not expect significant disruptions to their flight schedules on Thursday, November 14 despite a call for mobilization from the main cabin crew unions, their leaders said on Tuesday.
“We should be able to transport all customers” having planned to travel, declared the deputy general director of Air France-KLM, Alexandre Boissy, during a press conference of the National Federation of Aviation and its Trades (FNAM), in unison with officials of Air Caraibes, French Bee and Corsair.
“For Corsair, we do not anticipate any disruptions due to this strike”added the CEO of this company, Pascal de Izaguirre, also current president of FNAM, which brings together the French air sector. This prognosis of consequences “limited” is also valid “for other companies [aériennes en France] who are not around this table today as well, but who do not foresee any impact”said Mr. de Izaguirre.
“For Air Caraibes and French Bee, we also do not anticipate any modifications or impact on our program”underlined, for her part, Christine Ourmières-Widener, boss of Air Caraibes and French Bee.
“Deadly taxation”
Several organizations representing employees in the airline sector, including the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL), called on their members to mobilize on Thursday to protest against the government plan to increase air transport taxation by 1 billion euros in the finance bill for 2025.
In addition to the SNPL, several other unions in the sector – UNSA Transport, UNSA PNC, FNEMA CFE-CGC, UNAC, SNPNC-FO and FEETS-FO – have announced that they are calling “all employees of the airline sector to come and demonstrate their disagreement with this lethal taxation for jobs before the National Assembly on November 14”. “This project is an unprecedented attack on the airline sector in France, its jobs, its competitiveness and its sustainability”they denounce.
The deputies, who are examining the draft 2025 budget, approved on Friday the increase in taxation on air transport proposed by the government, however limiting its duration to one year and excluding overseas and Corsica from the system. . This amendment is supposed to increase air transport taxation by 1 billion euros with entry into force on 1is January 2025.
On Sunday, the Minister of Transport, François Durovray, defended this tax increase on Franceinfo: “This tax has both the virtue of contributing to the restoration of State accounts, but also an environmental aim” due to carbon emissions from aviation.
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