Volotea in the midst of turbulence.

Nearly 350,000 euros in fines were requested on Tuesday against the Spanish low-cost airline and its HRD, who appeared before the Nantes police court for violation of the legal duration of working time.

Between April and September 2018, the Labor Inspectorate had indeed noted 76 violations of the maximum duration of flight time for pilots and cabin crew based at Nantes-Atlantique airport.

It had also noted, during the month of July 2018, 89 violations of stoppage time consecutive to flight time.

At the helm, the labor inspector in charge of the case said that some captains were "afraid for flight safety" and had complained to her about "degraded flight conditions".

“I have checked other airlines, I have never seen such long flight times as at Volotea,” said Loéva Boudigou.

Volotea pleads the error of "good faith"

During the hearing, the lawyers for the airline and the HRD pleaded the “error of law”, committed in “good faith”.

"We thought that the maximum flight time to be respected was that allowed by European regulations and not by French regulations", assured the HRD of Volotea.

In France, the maximum flight time for pilots and cabin crew is governed by the Civil Aviation Code.

It is lower than that provided for by European regulations.

“The first value defended by Volotea is safety.

We have never had any feedback from our French staff on the matter,” defended Gerard Vandrell, the company's legal director.

Three unions of pilots and flight crew, civil parties to the trial, denounce for their part a "non-existent" social dialogue within the company and "complicated" relations between employees and management.

Up to 330,000 euros fine?

The prosecutor requested this Tuesday a fine of 2,000 euros per offense against the airline, a total of 330,000 euros, and 100 euros per offense against the director of human resources, Michel Nahon, i.e. 16,500 euros .

Judgment was reserved for June 7.

Volotea is the main airline at Nantes-Atlantique airport.

It offers no less than 42 destinations departing from Nantes this summer.

In September, Volotea was fined 200,000 euros for “hidden work” for having paid pilots in Spain who were actually working in Bordeaux.

The airline has appealed against this sentence.

Nantes

Nantes: Volotea is investing to make its love affair with the airport last

Justice

Bordeaux: The airline Volotea sentenced for "concealed work"

  • Nantes

  • Pays de la Loire

  • Economy

  • Aviation

  • Airline company