Pilots strike, British Airways cancels 1,700 flights

London, September 9

British Airways (BA) pilots began a two-day strike on Monday, grounding nearly all of its flights and disrupting thousands of passengers in a dispute over pay.

The airline, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), cancelled 1,700 flights to and from London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Monday and Tuesday ahead of action by British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) members in BA’s first-ever pilot strike.

“I am really sorry that the cynical actions of the pilots’ union have put us in his position. It is by all accounts an own goal; it’s going to punish customers, it’s going to punish our brand, it’s going to punish the rest of the colleagues,” BA Chief Executive Alex Cruz said. — Reuters