We are writing to give you an update on our operational plans during the second period of Unite’s planned strike action between 27 and 30 March.

Details of our planned schedule are currently being updated in our systems but this may take some time to complete.

In light of increased numbers of cabin crew wishing to work as normal we have expanded our flights schedules for Unite’s strike period of March 27, 28, 29 and 30.

More than 3,000 cabin crew who were rostered to work last weekend and yesterday reported to work as normal.  This is the equivalent of 97 per cent of Gatwick rostered crew and 53 per cent of Heathrow rostered crew.  The total number of cabin crew reporting for work increased from 57 per cent to 62 per cent between Saturday and Monday.

As a result of this support from cabin crew, we will run a full operation at London Gatwick this weekend and all flights to and from London City will remain unaffected.

At Heathrow we will extend our schedule to include up to 55 per cent of short haul flights and 70 per cent of long haul flights.

We will continue to supplement our shorthaul schedule by leasing up to 12 aircraft with pilots and crews each day from six different airlines based in the UK and Europe.

Customers who are booked on flights that have now been cancelled will be offered seats on alternative flights or a refund.

Customers who are booked on Heathrow flights between March 27 and 31 are also able to rebook irrespective of whether their flight is due to operate.

The airline is available to hold further talks with Unite, but we want our partners to have advance notice of our flying schedule to remove uncertainty and allow sufficient time for alternative travel arrangements to be made.

We have again made arrangements with more than 60 other carriers so that customers can be rebooked free of charge on to their flights if they had been due to travel on a BA flight that has been cancelled.

BA traveltrade will be kept up to date and the freephone 0800 727 800 line remains open for changes to bookings that cannot be actioned by the trade.

Key points of British Airways’ schedule for customers:

The airline will operate a full, normal schedule at Gatwick.

Flights operated to and from London City will operate as normal, including services to and from New York.

More than 70 per cent of longhaul services into and out of London Heathrow will operate as planned between March 27 and March 30. We may be able to add to this schedule in the days ahead.

We will be able to operate more than half of shorthaul flights into and out of Heathrow. We will supplement our own schedule by hiring in up to 12 aircraft each day with their own pilots and cabin crew.  We may be able to add to this schedule in the days ahead.

Flights operated by subsidiary OpenSkies between Paris and New York will operate as normal. Flights operated by British Airways franchise partners (Comair in South Africa and Sun Air in Scandinavia) will operate as normal.

Flights operated by other carriers (including oneworld Alliance partners) that have a BA codeshare flight number will operate as normal.

All dedicated cargo freighter services continue to operate as normal.

Details of which flights will be operating and whether flights will be operated by British Airways or another airline will be available via the GDS or the ‘flight checker’ tool on ba.com/batraveltrade.com.  We will also be doing everything we can to inform customers when they arrive at the airport.  We would welcome your help and support in making the information available to customers ahead of their journey.

Thank you again for your continued help and support during this difficult time.  As ever we remain committed to searching for a sensible settlement and we continue to remain available day and night to talk with Unite.

Yours faithfully,

British Airways