British Airways again cancels most flights on 27 September

British Airways warns that it will have to cancel almost all its flights again on 27 September due to a pilot strike.

Since yesterday, the airline has been contacting the thousands of passengers who have booked a ticket on one of the flights for that day to propose a refund, rebooking or a solution through another airline.

By announcing the cancellation more than 2 weeks in advance, the airline does not have to pay the EU261/2004 compensation to the passengers. The airline still hopes that the pilot union BALPA will cancel the strike but “wants to inform its customers in advance“, as BA says.

The strike follows the recent 48-hour strike of 9 and 10 September in which a total of 1,600 flights (including 12 between London and Brussels) were hit. The pilots demand pay increases and new agreements on profit sharing and payment in shares.

British Airways, part of aviation group IAG, believes that the pilots have already been “offered a correct wage increase” (a pay rise of 11.5% over three years). A British Airways statement on Sunday said: “We continue to be available for constructive talks with BALPA, on the basis that there are no pre-conditions to those talks.”

The airline had previously estimated the strike would cost it £40 million a day.