Pilots, Air France negotiating way to end strike

Pilots’ unions and Air France are in talks aimed at ending an 11-day strike over cost-cutting measures.

The walkout has grounded more than half of the airline’s flights, stranding passengers worldwide.

Air France offered Wednesday night to scrap a central part of a plan to shift most of its European operations to low-cost carrier Transavia.

That plan prompted the strike, because pilots see it as a way to outsource their jobs to countries with lower taxes and labor costs. Air France wants to restructure to stay competitive with budget airlines and growing Gulf carriers.

Guillaume Schmid of pilots’ union SNPL said the unions responded with a counter-offer that was rejected in overnight talks with airline management, then submitted another counter-offer that is being discussed in negotiations Thursday.