British Airways reinstates half its flights for 27 September as pilots cancel strike
British Airways has restored around half of the 800 flights originally scheduled for 27 September after pilots announced they will no longer be striking next Friday.
The airline has announced that customers whose flights had been cancelled due to the intended strikes can now rebook onto these flights if they wish.
Read more: BA pilots call off strike on 27 September
The majority of disrupted flights on 26 and 28 September have also been reinstated after BA cancelled a dozen either side of the strike date.
Around two thirds of customers have already rearranged their plans, however, with British Airlines Pilots’ Association (Balpa) only cancelling the planned strike action two days ago.
The union, which represents the majority of BA pilots, has called on the airline to restart talks over the industrial dispute.
BA is offering customers who have been refunded due to the cancellation of their flight the opportunity to rebook onto a suitable flight at the original price paid.
It is also offering those who had been moved to alternative dates, destinations or airlines the chance to move back to their original flight date, with services to all daily destinations.
“We are offering all customers whose flights were cancelled due to next week’s planned industrial action, the option to rebook on to a British Airways flight, with a schedule of services to our daily destinations on September 26, 27 and 28 September,” a spokesperson for British Airways said.
“Around half of our flights will go ahead on September 27, with a schedule of merged services to our daily destinations across our global network.”
Balpa called off the strike on Wednesday and said it was a “genuine attempt at establishing a timeout for common sense to prevail”.
The union has already gone through with two strike dates earlier this month, forcing BA to cancel almost 1,600 flights over two days.
Read more: British Airways and the pilot strike: Are shared profits schemes the answer?
The pilots’ association has also insisted it retains the right to implement further strike dates if the airline refuses to re-enter “meaningful new negotiations”.
British Airways is yet to comment on when talks are likely to restart.