Dutch carrier KLM has reached a provisional deal with its pilots’ union just hours before a strike was due to take place.

Members of the VNV union had been due to stop work for one hour from 11am to 12pm on Monday (25 September) as they sought to secure a new collective bargaining agreement with the airline. The action had been expected to cause disruption to KLM flights departing on Monday afternoon.

But on Sunday evening, KLM and VNV announced news of a breakthrough in their negotiations, which has immediately led to the strike being cancelled. 

KLM said in a statement: “In the coming days, KLM and VNV will further develop the outline agreement and VNV will submit it to its members’ council. In that agreement, additional agreements were made about pay increases for pilots.”

The deal will see KLM pilots receive an annual wage rise of 5.5 per cent on average over the next two years, as well as a one-off payment of 2 per cent to compensate them for the late start of the new labour agreement after the previous deal ended in March.

The union added: “This agreement was reached after months of consultations and under threat of action. The VNV is pleased that KLM has taken the necessary steps to create a collective labour agreement that does justice to our reasonable wishes and proposals.”

KLM is also closing in on pay deals with unions representing its 15,000 ground-handling staff.