British Airways cancels flights globally on pilots' strike

British Airways has cancelled almost all flights globally, including to India, due to the first ever strike by its pilots over pay.

The airline operates 49 weekly flights to India, said a spokesperson for India.

The strike--the result of a long dispute over pay--by British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) started Sunday midnight. The pilots said they will walk out for 48 hours, according to a global media report. They will strike a second time on Sept 27, if the issues aren't resolved by then, the report said.


"..the vast majority of flights will not operate today or tomorrow due to the strike action by Balpa. We have contacted customers over two weeks ago, who have been affected by the action – offering them alternative options, including rebooking to a different date, travel on a different airline or a full refund," said a spokesperson from its headquarters in Harmondsworth, UK.

"Unfortunately, with no detail from BALPA on which pilots would strike, we had no way of predicting how many would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to fly, so we had no option but to cancel nearly 100 per cent our flights," he added.