British Airways Cancels Nearly All Flights

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British Air has canceled “nearly 100 percent [of] our flights” due to an ongoing pay dispute with its pilots. “Unfortunately, with no detail from BALPA [the British Airline Pilots Association] 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 percent [of] our flights,” the airline said in a statement Monday morning. 

The airline says it is “working tirelessly” to provide options, including refunds, rebooking at a later date and rebooking on another airline. 

For its part, BALPA says it “put forward a proposal to BA management last Wednesday that would have enabled us to call off the strikes for Monday and Tuesday. BA didn’t reply.”

The BBC’s Simon Jones, reporting from Heathrow, said, “On a Monday morning, Terminal 5 would normally be bustling with people, jetting off on holiday or business trips. Today, it seems more like a ghost town. The staff far outnumber the handful of passengers.”

“We understand the frustration and disruption BALPA’s strike action has caused you,” British Air continued in a statement. “After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this. We remain ready and willing to return to talks with BALPA.”

BALPA is scheduled to hold another strike on Sept. 27.

Marc Cook
KITPLANES Editor in Chief Marc Cook has been in aviation journalism for more than 30 years. He is a 4000-hour instrument-rated, multi-engine pilot with experience in nearly 150 types. He’s completed two kit aircraft, an Aero Designs Pulsar XP and a Glasair Sportsman 2+2, and currently flies a 2002 GlaStar.

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