EVA flight crews protested that the year-end bonus was too small. Yesterday, they took a group temporary leave in a raid, resulting in no one loading and unloading passengers' luggage. Nearly 10,000 passengers on 79 flights were delayed for about two hours.

(Photographed by reporter Yao Jiexiu)

[Reporters Chen Xinyu, Yao Jiexiu/Comprehensive Report] There was chaos in the air transport on New Year’s Day yesterday. About 150 employees of EVA Air Service took a temporary leave of absence in a raid to protest the low year-end bonus, which resulted in no one loading and unloading passengers’ luggage. Nearly 10,000 passengers were on 79 flights. The flight was delayed for about two hours. Today, some employees will continue to ask for leave to paralyze the flight. However, EVA Air Services urgently dispatched 40 manpower support last night, claiming that it can operate normally today.

In addition, the failure of the air traffic control system in Manila yesterday affected a total of nine flights to Southeast Asia, and at least a thousand passengers were stranded or diverted to other airports, and gradually recovered in the evening.

Protest against too few year-end raid-style temporary leave

The employees of EVA Air said that they are responsible for airport loading, unloading, handling, and cabin clearance, and endure wind, sun, and rain, but the year-end bonus is only one month, which is very different from the 45 months of EVA Shipping and the three months of EVA Air, the parent company. If the company does not give the full three-month year-end, it is planned to ask for collective leave after the Lunar New Year and February 28 consecutive holidays.

Minister of Transport Wang Guocai said last night that he had contacted Lin Baoshui, chairman of EVA Air, and the other party said they would do their best to deal with it.

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Affected more than 79 flights with an average delay of two hours

According to information from the Civil Aviation Administration, there were 327 manpower in EVA Airline yesterday morning, and 97 people temporarily asked for leave; there were 291 manpower in the afternoon shift, and 54 people temporarily asked for leave.

As of 7:00 last night, a total of 79 inbound and outbound flights were affected, with an average delay of two hours.

Since all the employees are temporarily on leave, EVA Airline admits that it is not possible to know the number of people who can be on duty today, but it urgently dispatched 40 administrative staff to support it last night, claiming that it can work normally today.

9 flights delayed and diverted due to abnormal air traffic control in Manila

The Manila Flight Information Region of the Philippines notified us at 10:40 a.m. yesterday, indicating that the air traffic control system failed to guide the navigator to take off and land or fly over normally, impacting nine flights to Southeast Asia. One EVA Air flight diverted to Xiaogang Airport and was delayed. Five hours; some flights of China Airlines were canceled and routes were adjusted; the third flight of Starspace Airlines was delayed.

The system was repaired one after another around 5 pm yesterday, and flights to Southeast Asia can return to normal today.