A planned pilot strike at Allegiant Air is on hold after a US District Court judge issued a temporary restraining order.

The strike would have grounded Allegiant flights on Thursday  from major hubs including Orlando and Tampa.

"Although we know that our strike to restore the status quo is legal, we will comply with the judge's decision, and we look forward to having our voices heard at the upcoming hearing," said Phoenix based Allegiant pilot Corey Berger in a statement.

"The deterioration of the scheduling system alone is keeping pilots from seeing their families and many facing exhaustion," he said.

The Airline Professionals Association Teamsters Local Union No. 1224  said striking was a last resort.

The union had posted an open letter on their website Monday  accusing the airline of rolling back benefits for veteran pilots and taking a  ‘minimalist approach to maintenance and safety.’

The strike would have grounded more than 250 flights and affected 33,000 passengers.

Allegiant called the strike ‘irresponsible and illegal’.

Allegiant is Orlando Sanford International’s main airline.