Britain's airline pilots have claimed a 'victory for commonsense' after bookmakers Paddy Power stopped taking bets on which airline will next go bankrupt seven days after their union BALPA lodged a complaint with the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission which regulates Paddy Power.

And in a new move Jim McAuslan, BALPA General Secretary is writing to the bookmaker asking for a pledge that Paddy Power will never again open a book on which airline, or indeed which British company, will next fold.

'We are delighted the gambling has stopped,' Jim McAuslan said. 'It has caused havoc in aviation. When an airline is the favourite to fold passengers cancel flights, staff morale drops and the airline in the spotlight is needlessly damaged.

'Paddy Power says that it has stopped taking bets because of lack of interest, but the fact is that the Paddy Power has run this book for over a year and they closed it a week after we lodged a complaint with the regulators who have confirmed to us that they have taken the issue up with the bookmaker. This is a victory for commonsense.'

Jim McAuslan said that BALPA alerted the Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission and UK Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe who has responsibility for the gambling industry to two dangers.

'First, that the odds can become a self fulfilling prophesy,' Jim McAuslan said.

'People tend to believe that bookmakers always get it right and the subsequent downturn in business could prove fatal.

'Secondly, people - perhaps a rival airline or rival company - can manipulate the odds by betting on the collapse of a competitor. Once named as the favourite to go, huge damage can be done to that organisation.

'It's also distasteful. What if Paddy Power or any other bookmaker opened a book on the number of snow-related fatalities this winter? I cannot believe that the Commission, or any other gambling regulator, would not step in and insist the book is closed.

'Gambling on the collapse of a business is gambling with people's jobs, with family lives, with the prospects of a community.'

Jim McAuslan said BALPA was especially concerned about the potential for manipulation of the odds. In a letter to Gerry Sutcliffe he said:

'In truth Paddy Power has no inside knowledge about the state of an airline's finances or cash flow. All the odds show is the way people are betting and there is a growing view that some companies could bed laying bets in such a way as to push a competitor or take-over target into difficulty.'

Further information from Keith Bill on 020 8860 0433 or 07968 528 527