Strike by British Airways pilots set to cripple flights

The pilots' association has called the strike based on pay cuts and loss of annual leave days. The strike would affect around 145,000 passengers as the airline had no way to predict how many pilots would come to work or which aircraft they were qualified to fly.

London: British Airways pilots on Monday started a 48 hours strike overpay. The call led to the cancellation of almost 100 per cent of its scheduled flights.

According to the information, the industrial action would affect around 145,000 passengers as the airline had no way to predict how many pilots would come to work or which aircraft they were qualified to fly.

The airlines told the passengers: "If your flight is cancelled, please do not go to the airport."

"We understand the frustration and disruption of the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) strike action has caused you. After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this," they said.

"Unfortunately, with no detail from BALPA on which pilots would strike, we had no way of predicting how many would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to fly, so we had no option but to cancel nearly 100 per cent our flights," British Airlines added on its website.

Due to the cancellation of flights passengers were offered a full refund, were shifted to a different carrier and were also given options to travel on a different date.

The pilots' association has called the strike based on pay cuts and loss of annual leave days.

However, the strike would roughly cost USD 147 million. The pilots' union is also planning to strike on September 27.

Both parties have said that they were willing to negotiate. BA pilots rejected an offer of an 11.5 per cent pay increase over three years.

The airline said that flights operated by its subsidiary BA CityFlyer and its franchises SUN-Air, in Scandanavia, and Comair, in South Africa, were not affected by the strike action.