Air France pilots end 14-day strike

Air France pilots end 14-day strike

PARIS

Air France’s leading pilots union says it has ended a 14-day strike that crippled air traffic and led to stern shows of frustration by the French prime minister.

The SNPL union told The Associated Press in a text message Sunday that the strike was over. A spokesman said he was unable to provide further details.

The strike’s end comes after Air France offered Wednesday to scrap a central part of a plan to shift most of its European operations to low-cost carrier Transavia.

The 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.

China to lift restrictions

BEIJING

China has announced the lifting of restrictions on foreign investment for several industries, from green tea to civil airplane engines, in a special free-trade zone in the business hub of Shanghai.

The new rules affect 27 industries, including automobiles and infrastructure, and represent a mix of concessions over the rules that apply elsewhere on the mainland.

Associated Press