Latest news with #flysafair.co.za
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
FlySafair responds to pilot strike: majority of flights operating, apologises to affected customers
The strike stems from a pay dispute between FlySafair and Solidarity, the union representing a portion of its pilots. FlySafair confirms that while most flights are operating as scheduled, approximately 12% of services have been cancelled on Monday 21 July, due to pilots withdrawing their availability from flights that had previously been confirmed late Sunday night. All affected customers were notified via SMS using the contact details provided at booking. Customers are encouraged to check the Travel Updates page on for the latest information. Airport teams remain on standby to assist with rebooking, refunds, and alternative arrangements. 'We sincerely apologise to all affected customers. We understand the disruption this has caused and are doing everything we can to assist those involved,' says Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair. What's behind the strike? The strike stems from a pay dispute between FlySafair and Solidarity, the union representing a portion of its pilots. While the union has framed its demand as a 10.5% increase in base salary, the full package, including flight pay, bonuses, and other benefits, equates to a 20.1% increase in total cost to company. By contrast, FlySafair's current offer includes a 5.7% increase on base salary, which is 1.5% above inflation, and when fully costed, represents an 11.29% increase in total cost to company. The airline maintains that this is a fair and responsible offer, especially in an economic climate where most companies are offering increases of around 4%. 'We must balance competitive pay with the responsibility we have to our 1,700 employees, the affordability we offer South African travellers, and the long-term health of the business,' says Gordon. FlySafair captains currently are paid between R1.8 million and R2.3 million annually, placing them in the top 1% of earners in South Africa. Many earn more than members of the airline's Executive Committee. Are pilots overworked? FlySafair captains averaged 63 hours of flight time last month, well below the regulatory limit of 100 hours. For comparison, a typical full-time employee works around 160 hours per month. The airline maintains that its pilot utilisation is compliant and not excessive. Strike escalation and ongoing talks The union initially called for a one-day strike, timed to coincide with the end of the school holidays. In response, FlySafair issued a defensive lockout, a standard labour protocol. Due to the nature of airline rostering, this meant affected pilots would not be rostered for seven days. Solidarity then escalated the action to a two-week strike. FlySafair has not rejected CCMA intervention and continues to engage with the commission and the union in good faith. Commitment to customers and employees FlySafair acknowledges the disruption caused to customers and is working to minimise the impact. The airline also highlights its responsibility to its 1 700 other employees, whose livelihoods are linked to the company's financial sustainability. 'We're committed to resolving this matter constructively and quickly. Our focus is on restoring full operations while ensuring that FlySafair remains a sustainable and affordable option for South African travellers,' says Gordon. Contact: Kirby Gordon [email protected] +27 71 636 0236
IOL News
22-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
FlySafair pilot strike forces cancellation of more flights
Long queues formed at the FlySafair counters on Monday morning as the airline grappled with a labour impasse that grounded some flights. Image: Jonisayi Maromo/IOL As the labour dispute bedeviling domestic airline FlySafair entered the second day, the carrier said it has implemented several measures to cushion travellers from the impact of the disruptions and flight cancellations. On Monday, FlySafair cancelled about 26 flights which caused long queues and frustration among some customers. For Tuesday, FlySafair has also announced the cancellation of two flights - FA327 and FA326 - due to the ongoing strike action. "We've put measures in place to assist all customers affected. For full details, please visit We sincerely apologise for the disruption and appreciate your understanding as we work to support all affected customers," the airline posted on social media platforms. On Monday, IOL spoke to Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer for FlySafair, at the OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, who said the interruption of flights is regrettable and had left some passengers stranded. "What we are experiencing at the moment is that we have an industrial action on the part of our pilots, they have embarked on a stay-away strike which started today. They have deemed it to happen for two weeks," Gordon told IOL on Monday. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading "Unfortunately, we had a number of commitments from a number of pilots to be able to cover our schedule today. Late last night, we received information from several of them, that they would be unable to fulfil their duties. As a result, we have had to cancel 26 of 174 flights today. So there has been cancellations which we apologise very deeply to our customers who have been stranded. Unfortunately, our hands are tied in this regard, because of the industrial action that is going on," he said. On the other hand, Solidarity, the union representing the FlySafair pilots told IOL that operations have been impacted by the labour lockout initiated by the airline, which the union said had resulted in workers being blocked from working. 'Technically, it was not our industrial action, but it was the company's lockout. Be that as it may, what we have determined is that if our members are not there, there is definitely an operational impact on the company," Solidarity's deputy general-secretary, Helgard Cronje, spoke to IOL at OR Tambo International Airport. 'Many flights were cancelled, many people were told to buy new tickets or to reschedule their flights. There is a definite operational impact if our members aren't at work. Technically, as I have said, it wasn't necessarily Solidarity's industrial action, because the company locked us out. They are locking us out at this stage.' Cronje said Solidarity gave FlySafair notice for a one-day strike, basically to get them back to the negotiation table. 'The CCMA (Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration) immediately contacted us, and we responded to the CCMA and said we are willing to speak and go back to the negotiation table,' he said. IOL News
Daily Maverick
21-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
FlySafair responds to pilot strike: majority of flights operating, economic context clarified
FlySafair has confirmed that while the majority of its operations remain intact, approximately 12% of scheduled flights have been cancelled today. This follows a late-night withdrawal of availability by several pilots who had previously confirmed their participation in scheduled flights. All affected customers were notified via SMS using the contact details provided at booking. Customers are encouraged to consult the Travel Updates page on for the latest information. Airport teams remain on standby to assist with rebookings, refunds, and alternative arrangements. 'We regret the disruption caused to our customers and are doing everything possible to support those affected,' says Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair. Dispute overview: a matter of economic sustainability The current industrial action stems from a pay dispute between FlySafair and Solidarity, the union representing a portion of the airline's pilot workforce. While the union has publicly framed its demand as a 10.5% increase in base salary, the full package, including flight pay, bonuses, and other benefits, amounts to a 20.1% increase in total cost to company. By contrast, FlySafair's current offer includes a 5.7% increase on base salary, which is 1.5% above inflation. When fully costed, the offer equates to an 11.29% increase in total cost to company. The airline maintains that this is a fair and responsible offer, particularly in a macroeconomic environment where most businesses are offering increases of 4% or less. 'We must balance competitive pay with the responsibility we have to our 1,700 employees, the affordability we offer South African travellers, and the long-term health of the business,' says Gordon. FlySafair captains currently earn between R1.8 million and R2.3 million annually, placing them in the top 1% of earners in South Africa. Many earn more than members of the airline's Executive Committee. The airline argues that the union's demands are not only economically unsustainable but also risk undermining the long-term affordability of air travel for South Africans. Pilot utilisation and regulatory compliance Concerns have been raised about pilot workload. However, FlySafair captains averaged 63 hours of flight time last month, well below the regulatory maximum of 100 hours set by the Civil Aviation Authority. For comparison, a standard full-time employee typically works around 160 hours per month. The airline maintains that its pilot utilisation is efficient, compliant, and in line with global aviation norms. Labour relations and escalation The union initially called for a one-day strike, strategically timed to coincide with the end of the school holidays. In response, FlySafair issued a defensive lockout, a standard labour relations mechanism. Due to the nature of airline rostering, this meant affected pilots would not be rostered for seven days. Solidarity then escalated the action to a two-week strike. FlySafair has not rejected CCMA intervention and continues to engage with the commission and the union in good faith. The airline emphasises its commitment to constructive dialogue and resolution. Broader impact and strategic outlook FlySafair acknowledges the disruption caused to customers and is working to minimise the impact. The airline also highlights its responsibility to its 1,700 other employees, whose livelihoods are linked to the company's financial sustainability. 'This is not a position any business wants to be in. We are committed to resolving this matter constructively and quickly, while protecting the long-term viability of the airline and the affordability of air travel in South Africa,' says Gordon. DM
