Spanish national airline Iberia has been forced to cancel 108 flights as a result of strike action by cabin staff, local media reported on Friday.

The 108 cancelled flights represent around a third of the 326 flights the airline had programmed for Friday, with 53 of the flights that remain on the ground internal flights, 49 medium haul and six long haul flights.

The strike is organized by the cabin crew union Stavla and is against Iberia’s decision to open up a low cost subsidiary Iberia Express, which offers significantly lower rates of pay than Iberia. Stavla believes that the creation of Iberia Express threatens the conditions of its members currently with Iberia.

Iberia Express began operations on the last weekend of March this year.

This strike, although for similar motives as the recent series of strikes by Iberia pilots’ union SEPLA, is not directly connected to the pilots’ action.

The pilots were forced to call off their planned series of strikes, which were due to be held every Monday and Friday until July 20, following government intervention which legally forced them to accept arbitration in their dispute with Iberia.

Stavla has called separate strikes for May 11 and 14 as they consider that Iberia Express supposes a loss of production and as a result, a loss of jobs in the company.

Photo: Rob Vogelaar Z.A.P.P.