British Airways to cancel more than 300 flights due to strike action over Easter | Travel News | Travel
British Airways has announced changes to its schedule over the two-week Easter break next month due to staff strikes. Airport security staff are expected to hold 10 days of strikes over pay.
The strikes mean British Airways (BA) has no choice but to axe five percent of its schedule during the Easter break in April.
Around 16 return short-haul flights will be cancelled daily, potentially affecting the holidays of hundreds of British families.
BA said the majority of customers impacted by the changes will be booked onto alternative flights within 24 hours or their tickets will be refunded.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “Following Heathrow’s requirement for us to reduce the number of passengers travelling during the period of its employees’ proposed strike action, we’ve regrettably had to make a small number of adjustments to our schedule.
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“Our teams are continuing to work closely with Heathrow to ensure that our customers’ journeys run smoothly.”
Members of the Unite union voted to strike in a pay dispute with Heathrow, which has offered its employees a 10 percent rise after years of pay freezes during Covid.
The staff on strike work in the security lanes in Terminal 5, which is used only by BA, and in campus security.
The strikes will take place between Friday, March 31, and Sunday, April 9. For most schools across the UK, the Easter holidays will take place from Monday, April 3, to Friday, April 14.
Although BA is the most affected airline, other companies have been asked by Heathrow to limit ticket sales to attempt to keep passenger numbers down.
The airport expects long queues as Easter is one of its busiest times of the year, with millions of Britons heading abroad.
Contingency staff will run the security lanes, and volunteer staff will be deployed to keep passengers informed and minimise delays.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: “We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers.
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It is recommended that holidaymakers arrive two hours before their departure, but not too early.
Speaking of the planned 10-day strike by Heathrow workers, Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said: “Our members are simply unable to make ends meet due to the low wages paid by Heathrow.
“They are being forced to take strike action due to need, not greed.”
Strike action in other countries, such as France, has already caused a number of airlines to cancel flights this year. Today’s strike in Germany also caused cancellations.
