Air France pilots end marathon strike

Air France's main pilots' union today announced the end of a crippling, two-week strike held over the development of the airline's low-cost subsidiary.
The SNPL's spokesman Guillaume Schmid told AFP the pilots were ending the protest -- which has cost Air France more than 200 million euros (USD 250 million) -- so that negotiations over budget carrier Transavia can go ahead "in a calmer climate".
Talks over the issue have been deadlocked. The latest round, which ended early today, "did not suit us," Schmid said.
The pilots are fighting for a "single contract" across Air France-KLM and its subsidiaries to avoid being forced to accept less attractive working conditions at Transavia, which serves holiday destinations across Europe and the Mediterranean.

Air France pilots, who earn up to 250,000 euros a year, fear some of their flights will be replaced with services operated by Transavia, whose fast-turnaround, low-fare model is designed to compete with the likes of easyJet.
A Transavia captain earns up to 160,000 euros a year but clocks up significantly more flights. Co-pilots on both airlines earn roughly the same amount at the beginning of their careers, according to sources.