Say New LCC Will Take Their Jobs

As the saying goes, timing is everything... a fact almost certainly not lost on pilots at Spain's Iberia Airlines, who began a weeklong strike Monday right in the heart of vacation season.

The strike forced Iberia to cancel more than 200 flights throughout the country, and to and from Europe... forcing the airline to scramble to accomodate its passengers on other flights, or refund their tickets.

The pilots are protesting Iberia's investment in new low-cost carrier CATair... which they fear will lead to job cuts, as the carrier is already scaling back its operations in Barcelona ahead of CATair's October launch. Iberia denies that any jobs are at risk... but so far, it has resisted the pilots' request of a guarantee to that effect.

So, for this week at least, the strike will go on... with as many as 240 cancelled flights per day as a result. A spokesman with the airline told the Associated Press the strike will ultimately cost the airline more than $44 million in lost revenue.

The airline is also reportedly seeking to have the strike declared illegal in Spain's courts... as it is not over an internal airline matter, Iberia says, but is instead related to pilots complaining about competition from an outside company.

Does that sound like a case of pelos que parten to you?

FMI: www.iberia.com