Spanish airline Iberia to cancel 1,300 flights

Spanish airline Iberia will cancel 1,300 flights this week as workers begin a second round of strikes in protest against the company's plans to lay off almost a fifth of its workforce.

The government has ordered a minimum amount of services provided by the loss-making company should remain.

It means 85 percent of long-haul flights, 62 percent of medium-haul and 47 percent of domestic flights are guaranteed.

Unions representing most Iberia workers, but not pilots, called strikes between Feb. 18-22, March 4-8 and March 18-22.

A demonstration will be held at Madrid's Barajas airport later Monday.

International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia, lost 923 million euros ($1.2 billion) last year on restructuring costs and writedowns on the value of Iberia.

Iberia last month said it planned to cut 3,807 jobs.