French Pm Calls For End To Air France Strike

France's prime minister has urged that Air France pilots end a weeklong strike that has left around 60 percent of its flights cancelled and return to work.



The industrial action - in its third day - is expected to be the biggest to affect the national-carrier since 1998.



Manuel Valls described the strike to France Inter radio on Wednesday as "incomprehensible."



"This strike is weighing heavily on Air France, as well as on its finances, and on the attractiveness and the image of our country," he said.



Chief Executive Frederic Gagey has told France Inter that cancellations would cost the company millions of euros (dollars), "up to 15 million a day."



The strike, organized by pilots union SNPL (Syndicat National des Pilotes de Linge) - comes in response to the airline's plans to hire hundreds of new pilots on lower pay to fly for Transavia, a budget subsidiary.



In 1998, seven days before it hosted the football World Cup, 3,200 Air France pilots went on a 9-day strike over salary reductions.



Three quarters of flights were suspended and the airline lost a total of 900 million francs ($177,318 at present exchange rates - although the French Franc is now obsolete).



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ile-de-France