BA will expand schedule for second wave of strikes

British Airways plans to expand its flight schedule for the second wave of strikes by its cabin crew from this weekend.

Less than 18 hours after thousands of Unite members ended a three-day walkout, BA said it will run a full operation at Gatwick during the next strikes, all flights from London City and extended services from Heathrow.

The firm said 55% of short-haul and 70% of long-haul flights will operate from Heathrow during the four-day walkout from this Saturday.

The airline said it will continue to supplement its short-haul schedule by leasing up to 11 aircraft with pilots and crews each day of the action from six different airlines based in the UK and Europe.

However, BA's reassurances have been hampered by claims of more widespread disruption from the union Unite. It claims catering on flights will be hit for the rest of the month as a result of the strike.

Officials say passengers on long-haul flights would be served only cold salads and sandwiches, and no alcohol would be available.

One senior representative said: "It just shows the true picture of how effective the strike has been. Contrary to what the airline has been saying, it cannot run a full service for passengers. They cannot carry on like this. It is now time they returned to the negotiating table to resolve this dispute."

Flights have started to return to normal, although BA had to cancel a handful of incoming services to Heathrow, including those from San Francisco, Tokyo, Dubai, and Calgary in Canada.