UPDATE 1-Strike forces Taiwan's Eva Air to cancel scores of flights, suspend bookings

Taiwan's Eva Airways Corp said it has cancelled 71 flights on Friday, affecting around 15,000 passengers, and suspended bookings temporarily due to a strike by flight attendants over pay.

Eva Air's website showed that flights from Taipei to New York, Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, Singapore and Osaka were among those cancelled. The airline said about half of its operations were impacted by the strike. Bookings are suspended for flights departing from Friday through to June 29, the company said.

Eva Air shares closed 3.85% lower on Friday, while shares in rival China Airlines Ltd were up 1%. Eva Air, best known internationally for the Hello Kitty livery on some of its jets, operates flights to many destinations around Asia as well as to North America and Europe.

The carrier said its Hello Kitty jets, service and meal items would not be available during the strike due to the need for frequent changes to its fleet.