- Geneva airport employees stopped work at 4:00 am.
- The reason for this is a new salary model, which the management has approved.
- Due to the planned strike, Geneva Airport has decided to suspend flight operations in the early morning.
No planes take off or land between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. This affects all airlines – including Swiss and Easy Jet. 59 flights are affected, according to Geneva Airport on Twitter.
Around 8,000 passengers are affected, as airport spokesman Ignace Jeannerat explained in advance. Travelers are asked to contact airlines to find out about the impact on their flight. These flights could be delayed, diverted or cancelled.
This strike on the first day of vacation is regrettable, it was said at “Genève Aéroport” on Thursday. The airport will do everything to limit the impact of the strike. A total of around 54,000 passengers and 394 flights were expected on that day without the cancellations caused by the work stoppage.
Cancellations and Delays
Easyjet, the main airline at Geneva Airport, will have to cancel 18 flights because of the strike. Another 15 were also rescheduled to take off or land outside of the strike times, as the company told AWP in the evening.
Swiss, the second largest airline at Cointrin Airport, announced in a press release: “We assume that 13 flights will be canceled, another eleven will be delayed and a total of around 2000 passengers will be affected.” The airline informed the affected passengers about the cancellations and delays.
1000 employees affected
Around 250 employees and trade unionists had already gathered in front of Geneva Airport the morning before the company management made its decision to protest against the new wage model. This is the first walkout by Geneva airport staff since its creation in 1919.
The strike is scheduled to take place between 4am and 10am, VPOD Secretary Jamshid Pouranpir said. Staff meetings will decide on the further course of the strike.
According to the union, around 1,000 employees will be affected by the planned changes, mainly those who work in security areas such as passport control.