An EVA Airways pilots strike could affect 15,000 people every day over the Lunar New Year, and 105,000 in total over the holiday, Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) said on Friday.
The airline and Taoyuan Union of Pilots have been in continuous negotiations, but as of Thursday night, there was still a long way to go before a consensus could be reached, especially when it comes to salaries, Wang told reporters.
The union on Thursday announced that it could strike over the Lunar New Year from Feb. 7 to 18, and during the Tomb Sweeping Festival from March 30 to April 7 if no agreement is reached.
Photo: Cheng Wei-chi, Taipei Times
An estimated 151,000 people are expected to travel every day over the Lunar New Year, with 38,000 taking EVA flights, Wang said.
As 40 percent of EVA pilots voted to strike, it is expected to affect 15,000 passengers daily, or about 10 percent of total travelers, he said.
Since a disruption to one route might affect others, the number of affected passengers could exceed 10 percent, he added.
Plans for how other airlines are to assist passengers if the strike is called are still being formed, Wang said.
The union previously said that long-haul flights are more likely to be affected, as most of the pilots on these flights are in the union.
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