According to today’s profit warning by IAG, British Airways lost £120m as a result of strike action which they could have avoided for £5m; not allowing for the huge cost of disruption to passengers and freight users.

The airline’s tactic to lay the blame for a fall in profits at the door of the pilots, and without any mention of the impact their IT issue or GDPR fine, is completely disingenuous.

BALPA has tried to remain reasonable during this dispute and offered a compromise to BA on 4th September, and then on 18th September we called off the strike planned for the 27th September (tomorrow) to allow for a period of reflection.

Given that we have had no response from the airline to our request for meaningful negotiations, the BA pilots believe their management is treating them with contempt and are now asking BALPA to consider more strike dates.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton, said:

“This is proof that BA’s intransigence towards its pilots is economic madness. Their total disengagement is evidence of a senior management team that has lost the plot and doesn’t know how to resolve their dispute with their pilots.”