The airline said in a statement, carried by the state news agency, that the flights would be suspended between 4 a.m. (0200 GMT) and 4 p.m. (1400 GMT).

A spokesman for the cabin crew, Tamer al-Sioufi, said the strike was called for Friday after he said the airline had failed to respond to long-standing demands. An airline official said EgyptAir was negotiating with the striking crew.

Domestic flights were not affected by the strike, the airline said.