Aerolíneas Argentinas avoids flights disruption amid labor dispute

A planned strike by the airline pilots' union APLA has been suspended after Argentina's Ministry of Human Capital, through the Secretariat of Labor, Employment and Social Security, imposed mandatory conciliation. The measure was requested by Aerolíneas Argentinas and resolved during a hearing on Tuesday.

The union had scheduled a work stoppage for Saturday, July 19, to protest Decree 378/2025, which introduces changes to the working conditions of airline crews. Although the regulation will not take effect for another 90 days and its impact varies across companies, APLA chose to move forward with the protest at the start of the winter vacation period, one of the busiest travel times of the year.

According to the state-owned airline, the union's decision "uses Argentine citizens' travel plans as a tool for pressure" and mainly affects Aerolíneas Argentinas passengers. The company also noted that the strike action contradicts the efforts of workers "committed to the future and economic sustainability of the airline."

The airline emphasized it will not require state subsidies in 2025 and will once again report operating profits, as it did in 2024—milestones the company describes as "unprecedented" since its renationalization in 2008.