As airline moves to cut 12,000 jobs, senior crew told they will get 80% of current basic pay
British Airways has started carrying out its threat to fire and rehire thousands of workers – days after unions joined talks with a plan to save jobs.
Long-serving cabin crew were served notice this week to either accept an enhanced redundancy package within three weeks, or risk losing it by reapplying for a similar job at much lower pay.
Continue reading...Airlines seeking urgent judicial review of policy that they say could cost thousands of jobs
Britain’s three biggest airlines have filed papers in the high court to seek an urgent judicial review of the government’s quarantine laws, which they say are having a devastating effect on tourism and the wider economy.
British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair say the rules, which came into effect on Monday and require passengers arriving from abroad to self-isolate at a single address for 14 days, are flawed and will cost thousands of jobs.
Continue reading...EasyJet and Ryanair to stop flying on Monday and less than 5% of passengers expected at airports amid coronavirus
Airlines and airports have warned that time is running out for the government to enact promised measures to help the aviation industry, with EasyJet and Ryanair set to stop flying after Monday and less than 5% of normal passenger numbers expected at major airports.
Further talks are expected between ministers and the industry on Monday as the government wrestles with how to keep critical infrastructure functioning.
Continue reading...Sharp losses recorded after US interest rate cut, as Bank of England hints at further support to combat turmoil
The FTSE 100 fell below 5,000 points on Monday and trading on Wall Street was suspended for the third time in a week as markets were gripped by mounting concerns over the threat of a global recession, despite a coordinated effort by central banks to protect growth and jobs.
In an escalation of the worst turmoil since the 2008 financial crisis, stock markets suffered further sharp losses on Monday despite dramatic action taken by the US central bank late on Sunday in an attempt to limit the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Continue reading...Aviation consultancy warns that international industry could collapse within months
Major airlines including British Airways, Ryanair, easyJet and Virgin Atlantic announced a dramatic scaling-back of their operations on Monday, including plans to cancel the majority of their flights and ground thousands of planes, with experts and industry executives calling for government bailouts to avoid bankruptcies.
The moves came as an aviation consultancy warned that the international airline industry will collapse within months, with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, unless states worldwide inject billions of dollars of emergency funding to see it through the coronavirus “catastrophe”.
Continue reading...Coronavirus memo says British Airways will be ‘parking aircraft in a way we never have before’
British Airways has warned staff it is in a fight for survival and expects to make job cuts and ground an unprecedented number of planes, as it said the coronavirus pandemic has caused a crisis “worse than 9/11” for the airline industry.
BA’s chief executive, Alex Cruz, said in a message to 45,000 employees entitled “The Survival of British Airways” that the airline would be “parking aircraft in a way we never have before” after the drop in demand was compounded by the shock US travel ban from Europe announced on Wednesday night. It came as the German media reported that the country’s flagship carrier, Lufthansa, might ground most of its fleet and ask for state aid in the wake of Donald Trump’s surprise move.
Continue reading...A summary of the biggest developments in the global coronavirus outbreak
Key developments in the global coronavirus outbreak on Friday include:
Continue reading...Which? finds BA ranks badly for both long and short haul, but Ryanair still props up table
British Airways has taken a nosedive in UK passengers’ opinions and is now rated just above Ryanair at the bottom end of the airline rankings.
The flag carrier was among the worst rated for food, seat comfort and value for money on both short and long-haul services in the annual Which? poll.
Continue reading...Balpa union calls 48-hour walkout with further action planned for 27 September
The first-ever strike by British Airways pilots is set to start at midnight on Sunday night, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights and travel disruption for thousands of passengers.
Members of the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) have said they will walk out for 48 hours in a long-running dispute over pay, with a further strike set for 27 September if the row remains unresolved.
Continue reading...More than 500 flights cancelled or delayed by IT glitch affecting London airports
British Airways was facing passenger anger on Wednesday as more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed as a result of a systems failure.
In the latest in a series of operational problems to hit the airline, and the travel plans of tens of thousands with holiday and business plans, London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and City were the airports most affected by the computer failure. BA refused to reveal the number of flights affected but according to Flightstats.com, which tracks arrivals and departures, by 5.30pm the airline had cancelled 140 flights and a further 370 had been delayed.
Continue reading...Nearly 200 people evacuated and three taken to hospital after landing in Valencia
Nearly 200 people had to be evacuated from a British Airways flight after smoke poured into the cabin minutes before it was due to land in Valencia.
Three people were taken to hospital after the incident on Monday, and each was later discharged.
Continue reading...Airline suspended flights to Egyptian capital last Saturday as a precautionary measure
British Airways said on Thursday it would resume flights to Cairo following a week’s suspension, having reviewed its security measures.
BA flights to and from the Egyptian capital will start again on Friday, it said in a statement.
Continue reading...Holidaymakers’ flights could be disrupted as court rejects airline’s challenge to action
British Airways has lost its legal attempt to block planned strikes by pilots, which could take place next month and disrupt the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The airline had sought an injunction challenging the ballot in the high court. But the court ruled in favour of the union, Balpa, which can now call strike dates with two weeks’ notice. However, it has yet to set dates and both sides have said they remain open to talks.
Continue reading...Services to Egyptian capital halted for seven days to allow for security review, says airline
British Airways has suspended all flights to Cairo for seven days as a security precaution.
The airline made the surprise announcement last night that all flights into the Egyptian capital were halted.
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