British Airways pilots cancel Sept 27 strike to give time for talks

British Airways pilots cancelled a strike slated for Sept 27 after 48 hours of industrial action earlier this month grounded almost all the airline's flights in a dispute over pay. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (DPA) - A planned strike at the end of September by pilots with British Airways has been called off, the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa) said on Wednesday (Sept 18).

Balpa said that it hoped the airline "will now change its approach and negotiate seriously, with a view to ending this dispute."

A 48-hour strike last week - labelled one of the biggest in the airline's history, and the first by its pilots - resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of departures and affected 195,000 customers.

"Someone has to take the initiative to sort out this dispute, and with no sign of that from BA, the pilots have decided to take the responsible course," Balpa general secretary Brian Strutton said.

In July, the pilots declined an offer by British Airways for an 11.5-per-cent pay rise over three years.

Passengers affected by the strike on September 9 and 10 were offered a refund or a later flight.

Pilots had planned to strike on September 27.

"In a genuine attempt at establishing a time out for common sense to prevail, we have lifted the threat of the strike on the (Sept 27)," Strutton added.

British Airways said it flies to over 70 countries and transports more than 40 million customers a year.

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