The British Airways pilots union has announced that it has canceled the strike on September 27 due to the impact of the earlier strike.
The scheduled strike was called off by the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), saying that the strike in early September had "demonstrated the anger and resolve of pilots." In a statement released on Wednesday, BALPA claimed that "It was now time for a period of reflection before the dispute escalates further and irreparable damage is done to the brand."
In the earlier strike, British Airways pilots conducted a 48-hour walkout that affected almost 200,000 passengers’ travel plans. British Airways argued that it has offered pilots an 11.5% wage increase over three years that could boost some captains’ salaries to £200,000. However, the union pointed out that many of its members earn far less than that, with new pilots receiving a starting salary of below £30,000.
Last week, British Airways informed passengers to cancel flights on September 27, ahead of another scheduled pilot strike. A spokeswoman for British Airways said they decided to cancel the flights “to give customers as much certainty as possible” amidst the looming strike. The airline is offering passengers with a full refund or a rebook on an alternative date or airline. She added “We are very sorry that Balpa’s actions will affect thousands more travel plans. We urge them to call off their strike and return to negotiations.”
Brian Strutton, the union's general secretary, said "BA passengers rightly expect BA and its pilots to resolve their issues without disruption and now is the time for cool heads and pragmatism to be brought to bear." However, BALPA warned that it would announce further strike dates if British Airways refuses "meaningful new negotiations."
The International Consolidated Airlines Group-owned airlines released a statement saying "We have just received this news. We are considering the implications and we will give updates in due course."
