Asiana pilot union’s collective action leads to flight disruption

Asiana Airlines flight parked at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 onJuly 14. [Photo by Yonhap]

On Sunday, Asiana Airlines Inc.’s round-trip flight between Incheon and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, was canceled, in response to the actions taken by the carrier’s pilot union, which had announced a strike on July 24, leading to the cancellation of an international flight.

This has raised concerns about potential disruptions during the peak summer vacation season, as Asiana Airlines is one of the two major airlines in South Korea.

According to the aviation industry on Sunday, Asiana Airlines flight OZ731, scheduled to depart Incheon International Airport at 7:35 a.m. and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City at 11:05 a.m. local time, was canceled due to the pilot union’s collective action. As a result, the return flight OZ732, which was supposed to depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 12:05 p.m. (local time) and arrive in Incheon at 7:25 p.m., was also canceled. OZ731 was expected to carry 125 passengers, and OZ732 was expected to carry 171 passengers, affecting a total of 300 passengers who now face inconvenience due to the cancellations.

This is the first time that an international flight has been canceled since the Asiana Airlines pilot union began its actions on June 7. The collective action, a preliminary stage before an actual strike, refers to pilots participating in activities such as delaying flight departures and arrivals to exercise their bargaining power while complying with labor regulations.

As a consequence of the recent actions by the Asiana Airlines union, a total of eight flights were canceled by Saturday, all of which were domestic flights.

Due to the collective action by the union, the fear of a major airline disruption has become a reality as international flights have been canceled for the first time following the previous cancellation of eight domestic flights.

The aviation industry is designated as an essential public service, and even during a strike, airlines must maintain at least 80 percent of international flights, 70 percent of Jeju routes, and over 50 percent of domestic flights in terms of staffing or operational rates. In some cases, up to 20 percent of international flights may face disruptions. Asiana Airlines operates approximately 88 one-way domestic flights and 122 international one-way flights, on a daily basis.

An Asiana Airlines representative explained, “We had to cancel flights due to the lack of available crew members, such as captains and co-pilots, as a result of the pilot union’s collective action.” Affected customers of the canceled flights will be provided with guidance on alternative flights from other airlines or follow-up flights with Asiana Airlines.

The union plans to escalate its actions during this week after announcing the strike on Friday. It appears that they have effectively entered the phase of preparing for the strike.

An Asiana Airlines representative criticized the situation. “The pilots are not even answering work-related calls. Initiating a strike that affects the public’s right to travel is an irresponsible action.” The representative further emphasized the severity of frequent delays and cancellations due to the collective action, leading to accumulated fatigue among ground maintenance personnel, air traffic controllers, and airport staff, urging the union to halt their actions and engage in negotiations.

Previously, both Asiana Airlines management and the union had been negotiating wages for a four-year period between 2019 and 2022, but they have failed to reach an agreement. The company proposed a wage freeze for the first three years between 2019 and 2021, and a 2.5 percent increase for 2022, while the union demanded a wage freeze for the three-year period and a double-digit increase for 2022.