Thaindian News

LONDON (BNO NEWS) — A British court on Thursday ruled that British Airways (BA) cabin crews are allowed to continue plans to carry out a massive strike, potentially grounding thousands of passengers.

Unite - the union representing BA cabin crews - initially announced four five-day stoppages from May 18-22 inclusive, then from May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9, with the last strike ending just days before the start of the football World Cup in South Africa.

A High Court blocked that strike, but a London Court of Appeal accepted the union’s challenge over the High Court junction.

When Unite initially announced the strikes, British Airways said it had contingency plans which will allow the airline to fly more than 60,000 customers each day - representing more than 70 percent of its customers.

“We are very disappointed for our customers that Unite’s appeal has been upheld and that the union intends to go ahead with its unjustified and pointless strikes,” British Airways said in a statement, saying it will implement its contingency plan to keep its aircraft flying. “We are confident that thousands of cabin crew will ignore Unite’s strike call and help us fly more than 70 per cent of the customers who were booked to fly with us in the period targeted.”

The airline said it would run a full program at Gatwick and London City airports, and operate more than sixty percent of its longhaul operation and more than fifty percent of shorthaul. “Unite’s strikes have failed twice and they will fail again,” BA said.

British Airways further said it has put forward a ‘very fair offer’ that addresses the concerns raised by Unite, and said it believes that cabin crews would accept it if it was put to them in a ‘fair and secret ballot.’

It was not immediately clear when the first strike would take place.