British Airways staff offer to work during strike

British Airways has announced that it will be able to fly an extra 4,000 passengers per day during the forthcoming strike by cabin crew staff after some employees came forward and agreed to work during the stoppage.

The Unite trade union has called a three-day strike starting on March 20th and a four-day walkout from March 27th over a dispute with the airline relating to pay and conditions.

However, the carrier revealed that many cabin crew members have shown their willingness to work during the industrial action, while the number of airlines offering charters or spare seats to help affected passengers has also increased.

This will enable British Airways to reinstate some of its routes and provide extra capacity on services including flights to Vancouver, which is currently hosting the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games.

Willie Walsh, the airline's chief executive officer, said: "I am delighted by the numbers of cabin crew who have been getting in touch with us to express their disillusion with Unite's position. Our crews just want to work as normal, do their usual terrific job and look after our customers.

"We will now have the potential to fly more than 4,000 additional customers per day and serve more destinations."

Posted by Paul, 18 March 2010 17:07

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• Vancouver
• British Airways