FlySafair was forced to cancel several domestic flights on Monday, 21 July 2025, following a sudden escalation in a pilot strike.
FlySafair confirms cancelled flights on Monday, 21 July 2025
In total, 26 scheduled flights were pulled from operation, affecting routes between major cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, and Port Elizabeth.
The airline confirmed in a statement that “8% of its flights” had to be cancelled on the day.
“These flights were assigned to pilots who had confirmed their availability to fly, but who late last night, reported that they would not fly,” the airline said.
FlySafair also stated that affected customers had been contacted directly and that all other scheduled services would continue as planned.
Flights affected include early morning and late evening routes.
Some of the cancelled flights included FA112 (Cape Town to Johannesburg), FA262 (Johannesburg to Durban), and FA840 (Cape Town to Bloemfontein), among others.
How far FlySafair is from reaching an agreement with trade union
The pilot strike stems from ongoing disputes between FlySafair and the trade union Solidarity. The union has accused the airline of refusing mediation efforts led by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), a government body that helps resolve workplace disputes in South Africa.
In a statement released Monday, Solidarity said:
“We were prepared to do everything possible over the weekend to prevent the disruption and find a solution with the help of the CCMA. Instead of coming to the table, FlySafair escalated the disruption by locking out the pilots for at least seven days.”
A lockout means that employees—in this case, pilots—are legally barred from working for a set period, a move typically used by employers during strikes.
FlySafair has yet to publicly respond to Solidarity’s lockout claims.
Meanwhile, FlySafair has defended its compensation model for pilots, stating:
“Our captains earn between R1.8 and R2.3 million annually—placing them well within the top 1% of earners in South Africa.”
The airline added that some pilots earn more than members of its executive team and that its salary benchmarks surpass those at other local airlines.
Negotiations appear to be at a standstill, with Solidarity calling for a negotiated settlement.
There has been no indication of when talks will resume, or whether CCMA-led mediation will be accepted by FlySafair in the days ahead.
Flyers are advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport and to ensure their contact details are up to date in their booking profiles.
