(Bloomberg) --

Wages for cabin crews at Swiss International Airlines AG are likely to rise as the airline attempts to retain staff, said Chief Executive Officer Dieter Vranckx.

In an interview with the newspaper NZZ published on Saturday, Vranckx said Lufthansa-owned Swiss will likely offer higher wages to staff next month as inflation crimps the cost of living.

“Wages will most likely be adjusted upwards,” he said. 

Airlines around the globe slashed staff and canceled flights during the pandemic. Now they’re struggling to find enough workers to crew flights as passengers return to travel.

Currently, the average salary for entry level cabin crew is just 4,000 Swiss francs ($4,170) per month, the newspaper reported. Switzerland’s cost of living is among the highest in Europe.

Swiss has repaid a federal government loan it took to stay afloat during the pandemic and has returned to profitability, Vranckx said. The company will enter contract negotiations in September with its pilots in hopes of avoiding a strike. 

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