Flights cancelled on November 10 and 11
Spanish carrier Iberia has been forced to cancel flights tomorrow and Wednesday (November 10 and 11) as cabin crew were planning to stage their second strike in less than a month.
The strike has been called by cabin attendants unions' CTA and SITCPLA over a pay dispute.
The previous strikes were held on October 26 and 27.
Flights between Madrid and London are among those affected, along with Paris, Brussels, New York and Sao Paulo. In total more than 360 flights have been cancelled.
In a statement, the airline said: "Iberia is cancelling some flights scheduled for 10-11 November, since they are not covered by the minimum services requirement established by Spanish authorities.
"Iberia regrets the inconveniences caused, and we will do all we can to minimize them though the service offered on board of the flights operated by Iberia could be affected by the strike.
"However, the airline is trying to avoid an unjustified strike and is calling on the responsibility of the unions organising the strike to cancel it."
Iberia flights with codes IB5000, IB8000 and IB7000, operated by Vueling, Iberia Regional or Air Nostrum will not be affected. Flights to and from the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands will also operate normally.
The series of strikes follow announcements by Iberia on a new strategy in response to "declining revenues, weak demand and mounting losses". In the first six months of the year, revenue dropped 18%.
Rafael Sánchez-Lozano, Iberia's chief operating officer, said the current situation was unsustainable.
New measures include a freeze on recruitment, a company wide pay freeze in 2011 and 2012, early retirement for all cabin crew over 55 and lay off for about 200 ground staff.
www.iberia.com [1]