TAAG Angola passengers are set for disruption and may be booked onto other airlines after pilots commenced a strike that is due to last over a week.
“Several meetings” between the pilot union – Sindicato de Pilotos de Linha Aérea (SPLA) and TAAG Angola had been ongoing for over two months according to a statement released by the airline.
However, it was the failed negotiations of a “a three-day round of negotiations” from October 3, 2022, to October 5, 2022, that lead to the union commencing its strike on October 7, 2022.
In response to the strike TAAG has now been forced to adjust its domestic and international flight schedules from October 7, 2022 and is booking passengers onto flights operated by other carriers.
The airline’s management board stated that it was focused on ensuring “minimal impact” for its customers’ travel plans, with plans to mitigate disruptions while maintaining “maximum connectivity.”
“To ensure the continuity of its operation, TAAG will resort to renting services, reallocate passengers on other airlines, and facilitate the change of travel dates without any penalty for customers and passengers affected by this stoppage”, said TAAG in a statement reported by Jornal de Angola.
The Luanda-based flag carrier explained that the pilot union’s demands could not be met due to their potential “negative impact” on the company the report continues.
“It should be remembered that the demands made by the SPLA focus, above all, on the remuneration and benefits of pilots. However, in the current financial context of TAAG, it is not possible to proceed with salary increases in the requested dimension without generating a negative impact on survival of the company,” said TAAG in the Jornal de Angola report.
Despite the failed negotiations, TAAG highlighted that it will maintain dialogue with the union with the aim to reach a favorable solution for all parties involved.
Founded in 1938 and based in Luanda, Angola´s capital city, TAAG Angola Airlines has been the main flag carrier for Angola for over 80 years. The airline operates its services to a network of 14 domestic and 12 international destinations with a fleet comprising Boeing 777, Boeing 737, Airbus A330 and De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 aircraft.