The president of Air France, Mr Jean-Cyril Spinetta, said yesterday he would personally meet striking pilots today as the French government hinted at concessions to end the stoppage that has grounded planes and threatens to wreak havoc on the World Cup.
Air France earlier announced Mr Spinetta would meet representatives of the pilots' unions at 3.30 p.m. It will be the first time the two sides have met since talks collapsed last Thursday.
Shortly after that announcement, the French Transport Minister, Mr Jean-Claude Gayssot, said in a statement that the government, "within the framework of a global accord", was prepared to consider changes in pending legislation containing measures the striking pilots oppose.
That legislation would allow Air France to save 500 million francs (£59.171 million) on its payroll by cutting pilots' salaries by 15 per cent in exchange for shares when the company is partially privatised at the end of this year. Air France was forced to cancel 90 per cent of long-haul flights at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport north of Paris and 83 per cent of domestic and medium-haul flights at Orly, south of the capital, yesterday, the first day of the strike.
The state-owned airline said it would have to cancel between 65 per cent and 85 per cent of flights today failing a breakthrough.
Only 10 days before the kick-off of the soccer finals, the official World Cup carrier is faced with grounding 85 per cent of long-haul flights and 75 per cent of domestic and medium-haul flights at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle.
Some 35 per cent of flights will be maintained at Orly airport.
The SNPL pilots' union, representing most of the airline's 3,200 pilots, has called a 15-day renewable strike failing the settlement of the dispute over management's move to trim the company's wage bill.
Liz Walsh adds: Irish passengers intending to fly to Charles de Gaulle airport are not expected to face disruption because of the strike.
Cityjet, which runs a joint operation with the French airline out of Dublin Airport, said all of its scheduled flights will run normally throughout the dispute.
Aer Lingus, which also has flights into Paris, does not expect the strike to affect its service.
Ryanair flights to Beauvais Airport outside Paris are also expected to remain unaffected.