BA pilots strike would disrupt flights
British Airways pilots are expected to be balloted over strike action by their union BALPA, and any strike would be bound to cause severe disruption to BA flights.
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) represents around 3,000 of BA’s 3,200 pilots and is expected to give legal notice of the strike ballot today.
The dispute between BA and the pilots has arisen over BA’s insistence that its new subsidiary airline OpenSkies should have a separate pilot workforce.
“We are not prepared to see the pilot body broken up in the way BA plans and are bemused as to why they will not use BA pilots,” says BALPA general secretary, Jim McAuslan.
OpenSkies is due to start new flights in June between the USA and business and financial centres in Europe. The first flights will be between New York and Paris and Brussels.
“OpenSkies is being set up with BA money, will fly BA planes and draw on the BA brand – and a brand is more than a tailfin. It is about its people and the BA pilot community is making a stand to protect that brand,” says McAuslan.
If BA pilots do vote to strike the strike would not take place for at least 5 weeks. But any strike would be bound to cause widespread disruption to flights and could cause chaos at airports. Strike action may also come uncomfortably close to the opening of BA’s new home at Heathrow Terminal 5.
BA also stands to lose a lot of money. It is estimated that the strike threatened by BA cabin crew in January last year cost BA around £80 million.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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