The Knesset Economic Affairs Committee today discussed the crisis between El Al Israel Airlines Ltd.'s (TASE: ELAL) management and the company's pilots' committee as disruptions continue. El Al's flight to Milan was cancelled this morning after flights to Beijing and Hong Kong were canceled yesterday and this morning's flight to Toronto was delayed by eight hours. Flights to New York last night departed in leased aircraft.
Meanwhile, in the Knesset, El Al CEO David Maimon told the committee, "We have reached complete agreements with the workers in all aspects - except for the pilots. We couldn't approve an immoral way of giving them double pay. The disruptions are costing a lot of money."
Maimon added, "We're talking about $1.5 million in added pay for the pilots and $300,000-400,000 more for business class seats on deadhead flights for El Al pilots to return on foreign airlines.
"The average salary of a pilot has risen 33% without an agreed pay rise. Work hours have increased by 2.5 hours, plus 10 more hours on flights in business class. They receive salary and living expenses for that, although they're traveling to bring and return planes. It's a waste of money."
Pilots workers committee head Nir Zuk told the committee, "The leased airplanes are a cancer. It harms both the company's passengers and its workers. We'll be in the same position that Zim Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. is in now. The big lie is that leased planes are being used because of the disruptions."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on November 24, 2016
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