European airline workers still striking

Christopher Werth Feb 23, 2010
HTML EMBED:
COPY

European airline workers still striking

Christopher Werth Feb 23, 2010
HTML EMBED:
COPY

TEXT OF STORY

Bill Radke: There are more strikes affecting air travel this morning. Just as pilots at German airline Lufthansa agreed to go back to work for the time being, cabin crew at British Airways have voted to strike, and today French air traffic controllers walked off the job, causing cancellations and delays. Reporter Christopher Werth has the story from London.


Christopher Werth: All these strikes are related to one thing: employees across Europe have grown worried about airlines cutting costs.

Cost cutting is also happening in the U.S. But Howard Wheeldon of BGC Partners says that doesn’t mean it will see the same repercussions.

Howard Wheeldon: And if anything, the U.S. airline industry is healthier now than it was a year or 18 months ago. The country as a whole, the economy is improving. There have been some mergers, and that has made a difference. So I think the worst, for the moment, is over in the U.S.

But Wheeldon says airlines have a long road ahead, especially in Europe, where too many carriers will continue chasing too few customers.

In London, I’m Christopher Werth for Marketplace.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.