Iberia staff concerned over plans to launch short-haul subsidiary

Iberia staff, led bu cabin crew union, Comision de Trabajadores Asemblearios (CTA), have expressed opposition to the carrier's plans to launch a new short-haul subsidiary in Nov-2010 (Times Online, 08-Mar-2010). The new carrier will reportedly launch operations with 14 aircraft and approximately 350 staff.

Comision de Trabajadores Asemblearios: "We fear that the creation of a company of low cost is nothing more than the cession of part of Iberia with the only objective to cut costs from cabin crew and pilots. We suspect they could be trying to do the same as British Airways did…We are completely against this move. They are just trying to pay cabin crew less," Spokesperson. Source: Times Online, 08-Mar-2010.

Iberia: "This is not going to be a low-cost airline. It will, for example, offer passengers a Business Class for their flight. We will contract new staff, not transfer them from Iberia. For Iberia, like other large airlines like British Airways and Air France, costs are the problem and so reducing the salary base is logical," Spokesperson. Source: Times Online, 08-Mar-2010.