Johannesburg – FlySafair has announced the end of the strike action by some of its pilots.
“This follows the signing of a formal agreement between airline management and Solidarity today, concluding several weeks of intensive engagement under the guidance of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration,” FlySafair said in a statement on Friday, 1 August 2025.
“Most importantly for the South African traveling public, this development means that FlySafair will begin restoring full capacity to the market.”
FlySafair said with all aircraft returning to active duty and schedules being normalised, the airline anticipates a stabilisation of airfares in the coming weeks as more seats become available across the network.
“We are pleased to have reached a constructive resolution that allows us to move forward together,” said Kirby Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.
“The return of our full schedule will help bring much-needed capacity back to the market, which is essential to restoring fare equilibrium and making travel more affordable again for South Africans.
“The agreement marks the conclusion of a challenging but ultimately productive negotiation process.”
Negotiations between low-cost airline and Solidarity, the union representing most pilots, resulted in the settlement of the dispute that led to the strike.
According to the settlement, pilots will receive at least one 60-hour weekend off during each six-week cycle, with a minimum of nine weekends off per year.
Pilots required to work on their days off will be able to claim those days in the next month.
They will also be allowed to exchange shifts among themselves.
In addition, pilots will receive at least 10 days off per month.
Initially, the pilots demanded a 10% salary increase, however, they settled for increases of 6%, 6.5%, 6.8% and 6.9% over the next four years.
These hikes also apply to annual adjustments of travel and accommodation allowances and medical allowance.
Pilots will also receive additional compensation for any hours exceeding 65 flying hours per month.
After the settlement, FlySafair extended its “sincere thanks” to the CCMA for its guidance in reaching a balanced outcome; to the 1 800 FlySafair employees, including many pilots. who worked tirelessly to maintain a stable service, and especially to our passengers for their patience and support during this period.
“As we turn the page on this chapter, we genuinely look forward to having our entire team back together and working collaboratively to continue delivering the great service our passengers know and love,” the low-cost airline said.
FlySafair reiterated its commitment to delivering safe, reliable, and affordable air travel.
“We’re excited to get back to doing what we do best: delivering affordable, reliable air travel to the people of South Africa,” FlySafair said.
