FlySafair customers left stranded as strike continues

Scores of passengers were left stranded on Monday after FlySafair cancelled over 20 flights due to an ongoing strike.

About 200 of the organisation’s pilots are demanding a 10.5% salary increase, while the airline is only offering a 5.7% hike.

Some of them didn’t pitch for their shifts, leaving travellers high and dry.

FlySafair insists the airline can’t afford the pilots’ demands.

Dismissing the demands as not just unreasonable but also untenable, the airline’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kirby Gordon, says heeding to them will hit the customers’ pockets hard.

The pilots are expected to stay away from work for 14 days, a move the airline says it has put  contingency measure in place for to ensure that clients aren’t heavily affected.

Talks between the FlySafair and Solidarity, which represents most of the pilots on strike, are continuing. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) will facilitate the negotiations.

In a statement, Solidarity’s Helgard Cronjé says the length of the strike will depend on whether the airline enforces its seven-day lockout of the striking pilots.

“FlySafair underestimated how disruptive the lockout will be. It is costing them too much and the passengers are paying the price. Yet FlySafair has indicated that it is prepared to start the negotiation process only by Wednesday. As a result, thousands of passengers will still be affected before FlySafair comes to the table,” alleges Cronjé.

Solidarity says it hopes that FlySafair’s agreement to the mediation process will be the start of real solutions, that could mean better working relations for the future.

FLYSAFAIR
FlySafair stem onder druk in tot KVBA-ingryping oor vlieëniers

Solidariteit verwelkom FlySafair se besluit – alhoewel onder druk – om tog deel te neem aan die bemiddelingsproses soos versoek deur die KVBA.
https://t.co/IAyYNNgf90

— Solidariteit (@solidariteit) July 21, 2025

FlySafair has warned that some flights will still be affected on Tuesday.

Beautiful day njani, when you’ve cancelled flights?

— Trace (@DrTshele) July 21, 2025

@FlySafair this strike must be solved soon

— IG:@MRKRUGER1 (@Mrkruger1) July 21, 2025

Still, I was at the airport by 10, I even checked in on time but still. So you are answering nonsense! Nothing is going change your pathetic service!

— itumeleng morole (@ItumelengMorole) July 21, 2025

You’ve added these 2 new flights to the list. What is the status of the flights that were already announced as cancelled for today? Will those sectors and times operate tomorrow, or are they to be considered cancelled indefinitely until further notice?

— Tichaona Chitsinde (@TiChitsinde) July 21, 2025

I have to agree with Safair ( sorry for those passengers affected) but we will all land up carrying the cost of heavy salary increases in our ticket prices. Safair is one of the few airlines in SA that was actively bellying pilots when Covid craziness killed off the airline…

— Memyself&I (@cjd2510) July 21, 2025