ALGIERS, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A strike launched Monday by the aircrew of the Algerian state-run Air Algerie grounded all international and domestic flights in the Algiers International Airport.
"The aircrew members launched a surprising strike, without notifying the administration, and no flights took off from Algiers," Mounia Bertouche, spokesperson for Air Algerie, told reporters, adding that "the strike is illegal."
Stewards and stewardesses affiliated to the commercial cabin crew union put forward a number of demands, particularly for wage hikes.
The strikers called for a meeting between representatives of the striking aviation workers and officials of Air Algeria to find a solution.
Earlier Monday, Air Algerie said in a statement that flights from Algiers International Airport could not take off due to the strike. But the strike was not fully implemented in other airports in Oran and Annaba, where several flights took off as scheduled.
Air Algerie said that a crisis group had been established "to address the situation as soon as possible."
Air Algerie has been witnessing recurrent strikes in recent years, the latest of which dates back to last October, when several flights were grounded and canceled due to a surprising strike by its maintenance workers.
