By Mark Ogagan
South African Airways has returned to its normal flight schedule after more than 100 striking pilots secured a pay increase from the airline and returned to work, spokesperson Vimla Maistry said on Sunday.
Unionized pilots for the airline went on strike on Thursday, causing the state-owned carrier to cancel about 60% of its flights. The industrial action ended on Saturday after the South African Airways Pilots Association and the company’s management reached an agreement, SAA said in a statement on Saturday.
Under the terms of the agreement, SAA offered pilots a 1% salary bump, bringing the total increase to 9.47%. The union had been seeking an increase of 15.7% for its members.
“Engagements on a continuous enterprise improvement program will continue over the next eight weeks,” Interim Chief Executive Officer John Lamola said in the statement. “We are committed to implementing work-life concessions that should enhance the productivity,” of the pilots.
Founded in 1934, the flag carrier that received billions of rands of bailouts from the state entered a local form of bankruptcy protection in late 2019 and resumed flying in September 2021. In November, it reported a profit for the first time since 2012.
Pilots took a 50% pay cut when the airline resumed operations, SA Flyer magazine editor Guy Leitch said in an interview.
The strike affected many of South African Airways’ flights on major domestic and regional routes, including services between Johannesburg and Cape Town, and operations to Lagos, Mauritius, Namibia, Perth and São Paulo, leaving thousands of customers stranded in the peak travel season.
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