Argentine Airline Cancels Hundreds of Flights Amid General Strike

Argentine airline Aerolíneas Argentinas has confirmed the cancellation of 255 flights scheduled for Thursday, February 19, as a result of the 24-hour general strike called by the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in rejection of the labour reform that the ruling coalition seeks to debate in the Chamber of Deputies. The company estimates that the measure will affect more than 31,000 passengers on its domestic and international network and calculated an economic impact close to 3 million dollars, in a scenario that anticipates minimal air operations throughout the country due to the adherence of aviation unions and difficulties in guaranteeing essential services at airports. According to the details released by the company, 219 cancellations correspond to domestic flights and affect around 25,000 users; another 32 are regional routes, involving about 5,000 passengers; and 4 belong to international flights, which reach nearly 1,000 people. Aerolíneas Argentinas indicated that it will apply salary discounts to personnel who adhere to the strike for the day not worked, a message that exposes the level of tension with the sector's unions in a context of strong political discussion over labour changes and the advance of the official plan for deregulation and potential privatisations in the aeronautical system. In the hours leading up to the strike, the company deployed a contingency plan to mitigate operational damage: rescheduling, time changes, passenger relocations, and adjustments to the flight network. On this front, the confrontation adds a symbolic component: the aviation sector appears among the most combative since the beginning of Javier Milei's administration, with disputes over salary adjustments, regulatory changes, and the direction of state-linked companies in the industry. Through a joint statement, the Association of Airline Pilots (APLA), the Argentine Association of Aeronautical Staff (AAA), the Aeronautical Personnel Association (APA), and the Union of Senior and Professional Staff of Commercial Aviation Companies (UPSA) maintained that the labour reform represents a setback in rights, promotes precariousness, and seeks to weaken collective bargaining, in addition to limiting the right to strike. However, in the sector, a reduced operation is also anticipated, with very few movements during the day, both due to the adherence of other actors and the domino effect of the general strike. The final picture for Thursday 19 will thus be that of a paused aeronautical system, with thousands of passengers rebooked, million-dollar losses for the flag carrier, and a new chapter in the dispute between the Casa Rosada and the union front. Beyond the specific situation of Aerolíneas Argentinas, the operation of other companies could also be conditioned by the availability of ground services and the supply of key inputs, such as fuel, in addition to the usual bottlenecks that appear when a significant part of transport is paralysed. Even so, in the market it is anticipated that the impact will be massive, not only due to the number of suspended services but also due to the drag effect on critical areas of the airport system. In the case of air traffic controllers, grouped in the Association of Technicians and Employees for the Protection and Security of Air Navigation (ATEPSA), the situation is particular: as it is an essential public service, the union cannot formally adhere without complying with deadlines and notification protocols. Buenos Aires, February 18, 2026 - Total News Agency - TNA - Aerolíneas Argentinas confirmed the cancellation of 255 flights scheduled for this Thursday, February 19, as a consequence of the 24-hour general strike called by the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) in rejection of the labour reform that the officialism seeks to debate in the Chamber of Deputies. In parallel to the immediate cost, the episode once again raises the issue of operational fragility when union conflict, regulatory transition, and high-impact legislative changes converge: a combination that, in an extensive country dependent on air connectivity to integrate regions, turns a 24-hour strike into a national logistical problem. Options for self-management were also enabled in the official application and on the airline's website for changes and re-accommodations, to the extent of availability. The cancellation of flights by the flag carrier is part of a broader picture: the most representative aviation unions ratified their adherence to the strike and anticipated that the objective is to show strength during the parliamentary debate. For the union leadership, it is a showdown over the 'model' of labour relations; for the officialism, a structural reform that seeks to modify incentives, reduce litigation, and accelerate the modernisation of employment. In practice, Thursday threatens to become a day of extremely limited connectivity. From the company, they recommended that passengers verify the communications sent to the email registered at the time of purchase and, in the case of tickets acquired through agencies, to channel the management directly with those firms. In this framework, they assured that the 'seriousness of the context' requires 'firmness' and 'collective action' to stop any attempt at flexibilisation. The CGT strike was defined to coincide with the legislative treatment of the project, which already has half sanction in the Senate and that the Government intends to convert into law with speed.