VivirLatino

Not Flying the Unfriendly Skies in Argentina

08:03 H | Topics: Argentina - Labor - Travel

If living in South America showed me anything, it's that they really know how to protest. Travelers left stranded for up to two days in Buenos Aires' Ezeiza international airport on Saturday protested by tossing breaking equipment and attacking guards after Aerolineas Argentinas suspended most of its flights there. The delays and suspensions were attributed to a strike by the pilots' union a union for airport tarmac workers for higher wages. But union officials said the disruptions were caused by overbooked flights.

"There's no one from the company, no one is showing their face or telling us when we're going to fly. We're stranded with children and the elderly," a woman whose flight to Venezuela was canceled on Friday told local TV.

Jorge Molina, a manager, was attacked when he tried to calm the angry crowd. Ticked counters were shut down after passengers assaulted a worker at a check-in desk. Other passengers tried to prevent travelers from flying out on other airlines. Slowly but surely flights began to be reprogrammed, with flights to Madrid and Sydney going out first.Passengers complained not just of the delays but of the lack of information and help, including hotel and food vouchers. This led even to a group of three lawyer/passengers placing official charges against Aereolineas Argentinas.

Aerolineas Argentinas is 95 percent controlled by Spain's Marsans, with the remainder held by the Argentine state.

Via / MSNBC.com and Clarin

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