Icelandair withdraws cabin crew layoffs

Icelandair and cabin crew union FFI reached an agreement last night on new collective agreements. This reverses the airline’s earlier decision to fire all cabin crew.

Over the weekend, the airline announced that all cabin crew would be laid off and that pilots would now have to ensure service and safety on board. Icelandair wanted to sign new collective employment agreements as part of a restructuring plan to strengthen liquidity, but this was in vain at the time.

In a statement, Icelandair says the new agreement will enable the airline to better streamline its operations without cabin crew having to sacrifice salary. Union members can vote on the new deal until July 27. The earlier decision to fire all cabin crew has been withdrawn.

According to the Icelandic news website mbl.is, the agreement is almost identical to the one that FFI members refused earlier this month. What is different in the new agreement is a clause that provides an extra day off for older cabin employees and a clause about the “six-day rule”.