Japan Air System hit by strike

JAS passengers wait for information about their flights Wednesday

TOKYO, Japan -- Pilots and cabin crew of Japan's third-largest airline, Japan Air System, began a 24-hour strike Wednesday, affecting 23,000 passengers.

Japan's biggest airline, Japan Airlines, also said its pilots' labor union went on strike Wednesday for domestic flights departing from Tokyo, but that no cancellations were planned.

On Tuesday, pilots and cabin crew of Japan's number-two airline All Nippon Airways made a last-minute decision not to go ahead with a scheduled strike, although no agreement was reached with management over summer bonuses.

Japan Air System said it has cancelled 172 flights, or 42 percent of the 410 scheduled domestic flights for Wednesday. Its 10 international flights will not be affected, a company spokesman said.

The unionized workers said they were dissatisfied with working conditions and mid-year bonus payments offered by the company.

It is their first strike since April 1999.

About half the airline's flights are operated by non-unionized crew, the company spokesman said.

ANA pilots had planned a 24-hour strike from Wednesday noon, threatening to affect about 57,000 passengers on 354 domestic flights. But they called it off at the last minute.

Reuters contributed to this report.