Korean Air Pilots on Strike Through December 31
While British Airways was able to avoid a Christmas Day strike, it looks like Korean Air wasn't as lucky. For the first time since 2005, Korean Air pilots have gone on strike — and they're staying on strike until at least December 31.
The union is calling for a 29% increase in pay, but the airline has only offered a 1.9% raise, saying the "pilots' demands are nonsense." Currently, Korean pilots average ₩150,000,000 (around $125,000) per year in compensation. But Korean Air pilots have been leaving in droves for Chinese airlines, which have been offering $208,000-$250,000 salaries to recruit them.
Thankfully, the impact on flights is going to be fairly limited, as a total strike by pilots isn't allowed under Korean law. As airlines are listed as a critical industry, the airline must be able to continue to operate at least 80% of international flights and at least 50% of domestic flights. For this strike, Korean Air reports that at least 90% of scheduled flights will continue to operate and only 150 flights have been cancelled.
While the impact is going to be much greater on domestic flights, only a relatively few international flights are being cancelled by this strike. No cancellations have been announced for flights to/from the US. Here are the international flights that are currently cancelled:
| Date | From | To | Flight # | Departure Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/24, 25 | Seoul (ICN) | Hong Kong (HKG) | 601 | 13:45 |
| 12/24, 25 | Hong Kong (HKG) | Seoul (ICN) | 602 | 18:00 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Seoul (ICN) | Tokyo (NRT) | 701 | 9:05 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Seoul (ICN) | Tokyo (NRT) | 705 | 18:45 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Tokyo (NRT) | Seoul (ICN) | 702 | 12:50 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Seoul (ICN) | Osaka (KIX) | 727 | 11:05 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Osaka (KIX) | Seoul (ICN) | 728 | 14:00 |
| 12/26 | Seoul (ICN) | Riyadh/Jeddah (RUH/JED) | 961 | 23:10 |
| 12/24, 25, 26 | Tokyo (NRT) | Seoul (ICN) | 706 | 9:10 |
| 12/24 | Jeddah (JED) | Riyadh/Seoul (RUH/ICN) | 962 | 14:00 |
| 12/25 | Seoul (ICN) | Dubai (DXB) | 951 | 12:35 |
| 12/25 | Dubai (DXB) | Seoul (ICN) | 952 | 23:20 |
| 12/27 | Tokyo (NRT) | Seoul (ICN) | 706 | 9:10 |
| 12/27,29,31 | Jeddah (JED) | Riyadh/Seoul (RUH/ICN) | 962 | 14:00 |
| 12/28,30 | Seoul (ICN) | Riyadh/Jeddah (RUH/ICN) | 961 | 23:10 |
| 12/30 | Seoul (ICN) | Dubai (DXB) | 951 | 12:35 |
| 12/30 | Dubai (DXB) | Seoul (ICN) | 952 | 23:20 |
Bottom Line
This strike isn't going to affect many US-based travelers. However, the chasm in pay between what Korean Air pilots demand and what the company is offering could lead to more strikes in the future — or pilot shortages as more Korean Air pilots head to China for much higher pay.
Are you being impacted by this strike?
