Iberia pilots call for two more days of strikes next month

Iberia pilots announced on Thursday that they will hold two more strikes - on January 9 and 11 - as negotiations stalled between the pilots' union Sepla and the company over the introduction of a new low-cost carrier.

Meanwhile, the second day of the strike, on Thursday, passed by without any major incidents. Iberia was able to find alternative carriers for some 10,000 passengers, flying both domestic and international routes. Iberia canceled 118 flights because of the strike. These routes covered services to destinations that were not on the Public Works Ministry's list of flights that could not be canceled.

The pilots union believes, among other things, that the new Iberia Express airline will eventually cut into some of Iberia's major routes. Company officials say that the new carrier is not negotiable.