The planned four-day strike at Brussels Airlines next week has been called off after an agreement was reached with management, the airline confirmed on Sunday.
During the Covid-19 crisis, Brussels Airlines pilots had agreed to surrender part of their pay in order for the company to survive the pandemic, characterised by travel bans and restrictions on cross-border movements. As the company has returned to profitability, they demanded a pay rise.
"Brussels Airlines is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with the pilots' unions on their remuneration package," the airline said in a press release. "The agreement has been signed. The details will be communicated to the pilots in the coming days."
The agreement "takes into account our current financial reality and focuses on improving gross pay," it added.
After previous wage negotiations on Wednesday failed to reach an agreement, the pilots announced they would strike from 27 to 31 March – coinciding with the start of the Easter holidays for Dutch-speaking schools.
Now an agreement has been reached after all. Earlier this week, an agreement was also reached on better pay for cabin crew.