BA flies empty jets as strike action bites

Date added: 21 March, 2010

21.3.2010   (FT)

By Pilita Clark, Aerospace Correspondent

British Airways   has been forced to fly empty jumbo jets to cities around the
world as it grapples with the first days of a cabin crew strike that was showing no
sign of easing on Sunday night.

As the Unite union organising the stoppage urged BA board members to "take matters
in hand" and help re-start talks, the airline re-instated flights to more than
20 destinations in Europe, the US, Asia and elsewhere after it said extra crew
were working despite the three-day strike that began on Saturday.

However, Unite said at least 37 of the flights due to fly on Sunday had no passengers
and were only being operated to get aircraft to their intended destinations abroad
so people could be brought back to London on scheduled flights.

"They’re empty, there are no passengers," said Unite civil aviation national
officer, Steve Turner, speaking amid the carnival-like atmosphere at the Bedfont
football club near Heathrow, where striking crew gathered to be taken to surrounding
picket lines.

Many wore masks depicting BA chief Willie Walsh, who has become a contentious
figure in the long-running dispute, and yelled "Willie, Willie, Willie. Out, out,
out" as they piled into buses for the picket lines.

A BA spokesman said it was true some flights would not have passengers aboard,
including some 747 jumbo jets, but he could not say how many and did "not recognise"
the union’s figures.

"They are also operating as cargo flights, which brings us a lot money," the spokesman said. "And they will come back with hundreds of passengers on
board."

As the airline and union traded claims about the impact of the strike, Tony Woodley, Unite’s joint general secretary, said he was trying to contact
Martin Broughton, BA chairman, to help end the dispute before a second four-day
stoppage next Saturday.

Mr Broughton told the Financial Times last night he had no intention of intervening
"because Willie Walsh is doing a great job" and the entire board supported him.

"The ball is in Tony Woodley’s court," Mr Broughton said.

BA, however, said its contingency plans were "continuing to work well" around
the world, and 52% of staff due to work had turned up at Heathrow, where 11,500 work from, and
97% at Gatwick.

The airline would not give absolute numbers for the number of staff arriving.
Unite said of the 2,220 crew rostered to work, only 300 were believed to have
turned up. BA is using 1,000 specially trained volunteer staff and chartered aircraft
and crew to fill the gaps.

The airline said it had seen no evidence of industrial action at any international
airport, despite promises of support for Unite from unions in Europe and the US.

The  carrier said it operated 273 or 78% of its long haul flights and 442 or half
of its short haul flights over the first two days of the strike as part of its
contingency plans to cover the industrial action by members of the Unite union.

Seat factors were 68% in long haul and 69% in short haul. Club World seat factor
was just under 60%.

The airline also operated 70 positioning flights, which in most cases carried cargo, to return passengers home with minimum disruption.

Posted: Sunday, March 21st, 2010. Filed in General News.