British Airways Strike: Pilots begin two-day strike over pay, all flights cancelled

London, Sep 09: British Airways pilots began a two-day strike on Monday, grounding most of the airline's flights and disrupting thousands of travellers' plans in their ongoing dispute over pay and other terms.

According to the airline, passengers have been told not to go to the airports and to check its website for further information.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) last month gave the airline notice of three days of industrial action in September, in what is the first ever strike by BA pilots.

Why pilots on strike?

The British Airways Pilots Association (BALPA) said the strike is a "last resort", because of "enormous frustration" with the airline's management.

In July, the airline pilots rejected a pay rise of 11.5 per cent over three years.

The BALPA says its members have taken a "low" pay rise and made sacrifices during tough times and now that the British Airways' financial performance had improved -- its parent company International Airlines Group (IAG) reported 9 per cent rise in profits last year -- they should get a greater share of the profits.

The British Airways says its pilots already receive "world class" salary and the pay offer is "fair and generous."

The British Airways says after the 11.5 per cent pay deal is fully implemented in three years, the average captain will take home over GBP 200,000 a year, allowances included.

On the other hand, the union says junior pilots are paid a base salary of only around GBP 26,000, although they receive several thousand pounds a year on top of that in allowances such as "flying pay" (payments for time away from base.")

The British Airways indicated that the strike would cost the airline up to GBP 40 million a day.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)