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News in Brief for 22 May

GREEK CANCELLATIONS Europe low-fare carrier Ryanair has reportedly confirmed that it will cut 82 flights a week to the Greek holiday islands of Rhodes and Kos after local authorities allegedly failed to honour a joint summer marketing campaign with the airline.

STANSTED STRIKE Baggage handlers at London’s Stansted airport plan a series of strikes from this weekend after negotiations on shift changes broke down. The 150 workers are employed by Swissport, which handles baggage for Ryanair and a number of UK holiday airlines.

AIRLINE DENIES CUTS Air France-KLM denied plans to cut 5,000 jobs by 2015 through a voluntary redundancy plan, as reported by French daily Le Figaro. "For the moment there are absolutely no negotiations about possible job cuts, these are just rumours," a spokeswoman told reporters.

MEXICAN REVIVAL? Mexicana Airlines, which suspended flights for financial reasons in August 2010, may re-launch operations next month after Spanish hotel and air transport group Med Atlantica acquired 95% of the bankrupt carrier’s shares.

THAI SACKING The board of Thai Airways is reported to have sacked the airline’s chairman, with a spokesman saying he was "unable to work in unity with the strategy committee".