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Date Published: 28/03/2023

ARCHIVED - BA cancels more than 300 flights ahead of Easter strikes

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The ten days of industrial action in Heathrow is expected to impact 16 flights each day

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - BA cancels more than 300 flights ahead of Easter strikes

Days before Heathrow security staff officially go on strike over a pay dispute, British Airways has already cancelled more than 300 flights scheduled for the Easter break. Staff working in Terminal 5 of the UK base will down tools for ten days between Friday March 31 and Sunday April 9, and BA has said it has no choice other than to axe 5% of its scheduled flights.

The industrial action mainly affects British Airways but several other airlines are expected to feel the impact at one of the airport’s busiest times, since most schools in Britain will take Easter holidays between April 3 and 14.

British families hoping to jet away over the vacation period will face untold disruption as around 16 return flights will be cancelled each day, although BA has committed to refunding affected customers or outing them on another plane within 24 hours.

A spokesperson for the airline said: "Following Heathrow's requirement for us to reduce the number of passengers travelling during the period of its employees' proposed strike action, we've regrettably had to make a small number of adjustments to our schedule.

"Our teams are continuing to work closely with Heathrow to ensure that our customers' journeys run smoothly."

Terminal 5 will have to rely on volunteers and contingency staff for the duration of the strike and although Heathrow bosses expect considerable delays, they are determined to ensure disruptions are kept to a minimum.

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We will not let these unnecessary strikes impact the hard-earned holidays of our passengers.

"Our contingency plans will keep the airport operating as normal throughout.

"We are deploying 1,000 additional colleagues and the entire management team who will be in the terminals providing assistance to passengers over the busy Easter getaway.

It will almost certainly take a little longer to get through security, Heathrow bosses have warned, so they advise passengers to check their flight status before arriving at the airport and to leave plenty of time to pass through the checks.

In other news: German transport strike grounds dozens of flights to Spain

Image: Freepik

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