Passengers were little affected on Monday as KLM’s budget subsidiary Transavia cancelled all flights until 12 noon because of a strike by pilots, although many flights were delayed.

Transavia said it had managed to book passengers on later flights or on other airlines.  Thirty Transavia aircraft at Amsterdam, Eindhoven and Rotterdam airports were grounded in the morning.

Transavia’s 500 pilots have been without a pay agreement for over a year. They are demanding improvements in the flight rosters so they can better plan in free time and time with their families.

In addition, they are calling for a ‘modest pay rise’ and that their employer contributes into a special fund for pilots who become unable to fly through illness. KLM has a similar fund for its pilots.

The pilots union VNV warned of further possible strikes later in the month. Families with school-aged children are most likely to be affected as the spring half-term holidays begin this week in the south of the country and next week in the centre and north.