Flying time runs out, so flights should be scrapped

Budget airline FlySafair may have to cancel flights next week as pilots operating the carrier's vastly reduced schedule may run out of legally admissible flying time.

- Hein Kaiser

"Before now, nobody expected the strike to continue through the week," the pilots said. "Now after management's overreaction to an initial one-day strike for Monday passed.

"Management scored an own goal and responded by locking us out for 7 days instead. Then the strike was extended to 14 days in response to that, until 3 August. So by Monday, 29 July, many of the crew operating flights could be close to reaching their flying limit. That means, the planes get parked," the pilots said.

"We're bound by flight and duty time regulations designed to prevent fatigue. They're not optional. If we exceed them, we're grounded. Full stop."