A departure time flight board displays various cancellations as passengers stand nearby at Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv July 22, 2014. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned U.S. carriers from flying to or from Ben Gurion Intern
A departure time flight board displays various cancellations as passengers stand nearby at Ben Gurion International airport in Tel Aviv July 22, 2014. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned U.S. carriers from flying to or from Ben Gurion International Airport, after a rocket fired from Gaza struck near the airport's fringes, injuring two people. European airlines including Germany's Lufthansa, Air France and Dutch airline KLM said they were halting flights there too. Israel's flagship carrier El Al continued flights as usual. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola (ISRAEL - Tags: CONFLICT POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TRANSPORT) REUTERS/Siegfried Modola

Air France has cautioned its customers to monitor the status of their flight plans as the company gears for a massive travel alert chaos spurred by the labour strike of its pilots.

At least 60 percent of Air France's over 3,800 pilots would conduct a massive work stoppage on Monday, effectively resulting to a whopping number of 500 flight cancellations and/or delays.

The company had admitted only a measly 48 percent of flights could be operated.

The disruption will affect at least 85,000 passengers, Cédric Leurquin, an airline spokesman, said. Expected daily loses to the company are placed between €10M and €15M, Frédéric Gagey, chairman and chief executive, said.

Air France's pilots will run their labour strike from Sept 15-22.

Among the Air France's SNPL union demands include that workers at Transavia France receive the same pay and conditions as those at Air France's mainline business. Transavia France was a low-cost carrier that Air France established to compete with Ryanair as well as Europe's other low-cost airlines.

Alexandre de Juniac, Air France-KLM's chief executive, said their demands are not feasible because Transavia and Air France "are two separate worlds."

Also included in the pilots' demands are seniorty benefits, as well as incentives for Air France pilots who transfer to Transavia.

Catherine Jude, Air France head of operations, implored people who don't have to travel to postpone their trips because there is no telling which flights will be affected.

She admitted the company's ability to cope with the impending work stoppage and labour shortage is limited. She stressed the idea of substitution can't be used in work stoppage scenarios in the airline business. Pilots "who fly one aircraft can't be substituted for another," she said in a briefing at the carrier's Paris Charles de Gaulle airport base.

"The passengers will be informed and we ask them, if possible, to change their tickets to avoid this period, which is a little uncertain," Reuters quoted Gagey telling France Inter.

Air France customers with flight bookings during the walkout period can change their tickets or postpone their trips at no extra cost.

They can contact the airline through its toll-free numbers 0800 240 260 (in France and the French overseas departments), +33 1 57 02 10 58 (elsewhere) or through its Web site.