BA will fly on despite strikes, says Willie Walsh

By Kamal Ahmed 942PM GMT thirteen Mar 2010

Mr Walsh pronounced that BA would have known the revised calendar for thousands of flights around the universe tomorrow, with a full report from London City Airport and Gatwick long-haul, 50pc of short- transport services from Gatwick and all 777 services from Heathrow.

Overall, up to 50pc of long- transport flights could work from Heathrow. BA is additionally negotiating a series of deals with alternative carriers to franchise planes and send passengers.

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"I don"t wish to trick people, we"re not going to be means to work all of the schedule, that"s clear," Mr Walsh said. "It will be some-more than 50pc but probably won"t be some-more than 70pc."

BA wants to send a vigilance that nonetheless the 7 days of strikes are right away set to go brazen on Mar twenty and Mar 27, the association will be means to work a estimable piece of the service. Mr Walsh pronounced that the series of scheduled flights would enlarge incrementally as the set upon progressed and some-more new organisation were lerned up to take the place of distinguished staff.

"We are seeking to maximize the series of destinations we suggest in the interests of the customers," Mr Walsh said. "We wish to get as most of the commercial operation to their finish as possible.

"For the initial time ever, we are means to put a little strait plans in place. We will go on to set up the capability to do that."

Mr Walsh pronounced that a last notation understanding had been offering to the Unite Union last week that would have meant 180 cabin organisation being corroborated on long-haul flights. The removal of cabin organisation staff has been at the heart of the dispute.

Mr Walsh pronounced that Unite creatively asked for an prolongation on negotiations so that it could put the new BA understanding to cabin crew, with the probability that they would accept. Mr Walsh pronounced that, notwithstanding "reluctantly agreeing" to a 3 week extension, the subsequent thing he listened was the proclamation of the set upon dates at a headlines discussion on Friday. BA afterwards withdrew the offer.

"I was watchful to listen to what they motionless to do [on Friday], [but] I didn"t listen to anything serve from Mr [Derek] Simpson [the Unite leader]. The initial I listened of what they were you do was when I saw the headlines at 11am. I was astounded that they served us with the dates of industrial action, afterwards at the same time pronounced they were going to control this consultative ballot, that to me was a nonsense.

"I think it was a asocial movement on their part.

"It [the offer] was a genuine try on the piece to denote we were peaceful to come to terms and it rubbishes the idea that BA were refusing to negotiate," Mr Walsh said.

"At face value, it would have authorised them to explain that they had got us to move, that we had corroborated down on statements that we had done about not putting organisation complements back."

Mr Walsh, who signalled that the the set upon would cost the loss-making airline millions of pounds, pronounced that there was no going behind on the assets that had been done by shortening the series of crew.

"The set upon will cost us, but it will be an horrible lot less than if we hadn"t had these strait plans in place," Mr Walsh said.

"It is positively millions [of pounds].

"No commercial operation can ever see brazen to the hazard of industrial action. It is damaging.

"But we have a commercial operation that needs to change. This industry is going by the deepest predicament it has ever left through. We are commencement to see a little light at the finish of the hovel but it is going to take years to have up the lost ground.

"Our competitors are apropos opposite and apropos some-more fit and aggressive, we can"t mount still, if you mount still in this commercial operation you are dead.

"We"re no opposite to any alternative commercial operation in the UK that has faced low recession, the usually disproportion is that BA has avoided mandatory redundacies when hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs, we"ve avoided compensate cuts, we"ve attempted to work to residence shift and attempted to do it but commanding hardship."