Icelandair pilots to substitute for fired cabin crew

Icelandair has decided to lay off all its cabin crew. Pilots must therefore now ensure service and safety on board.

The Icelandic airline has decided to fire all cabin crew after failing to make new collective arrangements. Icelandair wanted to conclude new employment contracts as part of a restructuring plan to strengthen liquidity. The layoffs became known after talks with the FFI union failed.

With a total of 938 flight attendants fired, the airline is looking into other options to provide cabin service and monitor safety. As of July 20, pilots will therefore take over the duties of the cabin crew. Given the measures surrounding the coronavirus, this primarily concerns security, as not much cabin service is provided for the time being. Though these measures are “temporary”, Icelandair has not indicated how long this situation is expected to last.