Pilots at the long-haul low-cost carrier French bee look set to strike after the National Union of Airline Pilots (SNPL) filed official notice of its intention to take industrial action.
On May 12, 2026, France’s National Union of Airline Pilots said it was calling for a rolling strike covering the period from May 13 to May 18, 2026.
According to union representatives, French bee’s owners the Dubreuil Group have so far refused to increase its pilots’ salaries.
“This carefully considered decision was taken after consulting with French bee pilots, who overwhelmingly rejected management’s ‘proposal’, reflecting the deep unease that has taken hold among the technical flight crew,” the SNPL said.
The union claims that pilots at the airline have not benefited from any significant structural salary increase, and the minimum wage has been “frozen for two years”, unlike its sister carrier Air Caraïbes.
Other grievances include decreases in income and lack of career progression due to a reduction in flight hours without lowering the workload, which has led
“Under these conditions, the current proposal from management translates, for a majority of pilots, into a real increase close to 0%, which is considered unacceptable in view of the continued erosion of purchasing power and the lack of structural revaluation of remuneration,” said SNPL representatives.
The union added: “Pilots are demanding that their commitment and responsibilities be recognized for their true value and are calling in particular for an immediate and significant salary increase.”
Pilots are demanding that they are “compensated for the inflation experienced over the past several years” and that pay reflects the “level of responsibility and demands of long-haul flights”.
Pilots also wish to be properly compensated for all “tasks performed, including those performed outside of flight hours”.
The union said it is still open to discussions with management to avert industrial action.
AeroTime has contacted French bee for comment. Information within this article is based on translation tools.
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