Last week, an airline employee strike in Argentina changed the travel plans of thousands of passengers. Air travel employees across several unions planned and executed a 24-hour strike throughout the country. The employees, according to AP News, were striking for higher wages in response to recent inflation that has increased the cost of living in Argentina. Because of the strike, hundreds of flights were canceled and many others were rescheduled.
Aviation and airport service employees are an important part of the travel industry’s fabric and are vital to its continuance. Any amount of striking or slowed production can delay or alter travel plans. Argentina’s government-owned airline, Aerolineas Aregetinas, shared that the strike affected 331 flights that day. The strike’s impact is expected to cause a $2 million economic loss.
“Nearly 24,000 passengers, out of which 18,000 are from domestic flights, 3,000 from regional flights, and a further 3,000 from international flights,” were affected, according to a press release from Aerolineas Argentinas.
Though the aviation strike in Argentina was primarily in response to other societal concerns (eg. inflation), the strike is the latest in a growing number of demonstrations among air travel employees in recent months.
In February, union representatives for flight attendants at Alaska Air authorized a strike for the first time in decades over wages. Unlike aviation employees in Argentina, the U.S. flight attendants labeled their demonstrations a “day of action” rather than a strike and did not walk off the job.
In September 2023, airport employees planned rallies at three American Airlines hubs, including Charlotte and Houston, over wages and working conditions.
Argentina’s air travel services began operating on their normal schedules following the 24-hour strike.