Pilots from Taiwan’s China Airlines went on strike Friday in the middle of the Lunar New Year travel rush, forcing the cancellation of 26 flights over coming days and stranding thousands of passengers.
Hundreds of the state-owned carrier’s 1,300 pilots were believed to have joined the action Friday over complaints of long work hours on long-haul routes and the refusal of management to make improvements in order to suppress costs.
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That led to chaotic scenes at the island’s three main airports as angry passengers demanded answers from airline staff.
The Lunar New Year is Taiwan’s busiest travel period, with thousands flying home to island or taking trips abroad. The airline said flights canceled included those bound for Hong Kong, Bangkok, Los Angeles, Manila and Tokyo.
The official Central News Agency said a one-day strike of the airline’s flight attendants in 2016 forced 76 flights to be canceled. Founded in 1959, China Airlines is one of the island’s two largest carriers with a fleet of 88 aircraft.
