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Air France pilots go on strike, flights to Moscow cancelled

Air France has cancelled more than half of its flights on schedule, including domestic flights and medium-range and long-range flights

© EPA/YOAN VALAT

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PARIS, September 15. /ITAR-TASS/. Pilots of the Air France company have gone on strike on Monday, as a result of which most international flights on Air France schedule have been cancelled.

According to the on-line timetable on the Air France website, the French company has cancelled five flights to Moscow and annulled two flights from Paris to St. Petersburg. In the framework of the Air Sky Team alliance, the air service to Russia has been provided by planes flying under the Aeroflot brand only.

Air France has cancelled more than half of its flights on schedule, including domestic flights and medium-range and long-range flights.

The strike called by the Air France pilots, with 60% of Air France air crews taking part, might become the ost representative in France since 1998. The pilots are protesting against the "Perform-2020" plan adopted by the French Aviation authorities which envisages transfer of a big group of Air France pilots to an affiliated regional company "Hop" and the Dutch low-cost company “Transavia”. The reason is the excess of pilots on Air France staff (3,760) - much more than the company needs.

The strike is expected to continue until the end of the week.

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