BRITISH AIRWAYS has claimed that it carried all of its booked passengers, plus nearly 5,000 late bookings, over the three-day strike by cabin crews, despite losing one-quarter of its long-haul flights and half of its shorter journeys.
The airline, now embroiled in a furious clash with the Unite union over the number of flights disrupted, will be faced with a four-day strike next weekend, unless successful peace talks take place.
The second round of strike action by cabin crew is inevitable, warned Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley: “I don’t think there is any doubt that it will go ahead. I don’t see any willingness on the part of the company to find a settlement.”
Explaining its passenger figures, BA said it had successfully hired in aircraft from airlines such as Ryanair; flown passengers before the strike, which ended at midnight, began; or got them bookings with other airlines.
Some disruption in schedules is likely to occur in coming days before the next strike because some aircraft and crew are now in the wrong place for normal services to take place, the company acknowledged.
Flights between Heathrow and Glasgow and Aberdeen were among the worst affected, with six of the seven scheduled from Glasgow cancelled, and five out of six from Aberdeen.
Unite’s claims about the number of flights, which included one saying that 140 aircraft were parked at Heathrow, were strongly questioned by aircraft spotters, who reported that no more than 60 were there.
In an e-mail to journalists last night, BA complained the media had given Unite’s flight claims equal credence: “As a plc, British Airways is legally obliged to ensure that it does not release information that is misleading or inaccurate. Information concerning our operation is clearly market-sensitive. This information includes matters such as numbers of passengers we are able to carry, numbers of flights operated and numbers of crew reporting for work. Any suggestion in media reports that information we have issued is untrue implies that the airline’s management is acting unlawfully,” said the statement, adding that the union’s claims have caused “confusion” among intending passengers.
Speaking at Heathrow, Mr Woodley said the union was ready for immediate talks with BA chief executive Willie Walsh: “ silence is deafening. Where’s Willie? He has not been seen or heard from today while his business grinds to a halt.
“BA needs to wake up and understand that a dispute like this can only be resolved through negotiations and agreement.
Labour unrest in the airline industry, reeling from its worst year in decades in which consumers and companies reined in travel budgets amid the global economic crisis, has also hit Germany’s Lufthansa, where pilots yesterday announced plans to strike next month. Italy’s national airline Alitalia also cancelled or delayed flights because of a four-hour strike by pilots, flight attendants and baggage handlers.