China Eastern Airlines has suspended or demoted several of its pilots for taking part in a rare flash strike that took place three months ago.

The official Xinhua news agency says the Shanghai-based carrier yesterday suspended or demoted 13 pilots over the incidents.

It says the suspensions will be for up to two years, adding that two management officials and four other employees were “sacked for mismanagement”, while two others were reprimanded.

Over 31 March and 1 April 21 China Eastern aircraft operating domestic passenger flights returned to their departure airports after takeoff, many of them as a protest by pilots for better pay and working conditions.

The CAAC fined the airline 1.5 million yuan ($217,000) for the disruptions, which were out of China Eastern’s Yunnan branch.

Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news

Source: Flight International