SAS, Union Officials Meet in Effort to End Cabin Crew Strike

STOCKHOLM, Sweden_Scandinavian Airlines said it would cancel more than 280 flights on Tuesday after talks with union officials failed to end a strike by Swedish cabin crews.

Monday's announcement meant that some 1,200 flights to and from Sweden had been canceled since the strike started Friday.

About 90,000 passengers were affected by the strike, which the airline said was costing 20 million kronor (€2.2 million; US$3 million) a day in lost ticket sales.

The three-nation carrier's Swedish cabin crews walked off their jobs on Friday after negotiations over their working environment broke down, one month after a similar stoppage by Danish crews.

Airline officials met with union representatives early Monday, but the talks were fruitless, company spokeswoman Ulrika Fager said. Later Monday, the parties were meeting separately with mediators in a bid to end the strike, she said.

Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, is the joint flag carrier of Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Flights operated by Norwegian or Danish cabin crews were not affected by the strike.

The cancelations did not affect intercontinental routes or connections between Stockholm and London City airport.

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