BA strike bites but passengers fly

BRITISH Airways cabin crew entered a second day of strikes yesterday that forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights, but the airline insisted thousands of passengers were still able to travel.

The Unite union said 80 per cent of its 12,000 cabin crew members walked out on the first day Saturday of the three-day strike but, amid a war of words between the two sides, BA reported a good turnout at its two main airport hubs.

By Saturday evening, 1,157 cabin crew had turned up for work at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports, a spokesman said, accounting for 97 per cent of crew on duty at Gatwick and 52.5 per cent at Heathrow.

As a result, the airline said it was reinstating some short and long-haul flights over the next few days and expected two-thirds of passengers to fly.

Members of Unite, Britain's biggest trade union, walked out at midnight Friday after talks with BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh on a dispute over working conditions broke down in acrimony. More than 1,000 flights were set to be cancelled in the initial phase of the action the first by BA cabin crew for 13 years with a second walkout to follow for four days from March 27, targeting the busy Easter holiday period.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has condemned the strike, saying it was "in no-one's interest" and would cause "unacceptable inconvenience" to passengers.AFP