British Airways Restores Timetable After Pilots Cancel Strike

(Bloomberg) --

British Airways will serve all its usual destinations next Friday after pilots called off a planned strike over pay.

All customers originally booked to fly with the company that day will be able to do so, even if they have since claimed a refund, switched to other BA services or rebooked with another carrier, the unit of IAG SA said by email Friday.

The British Airline Pilots Association said Wednesday it was calling off the Sept. 27 action to avoid damaging the BA brand and encourage meaningful contract discussions. The company was forced to scrap almost all flights during the first walkout by its pilots since 1979 earlier this month, upsetting travel for close to 200,000 people at a cost of 40 million pounds ($50 million) a day.

British Airways now plans to serve all scheduled destinations on the day of the canceled strike, though with two-thirds of clients having made alternative arrangements and many unlikely to want to change again, only about 50% of the usual frequencies will be required. All routes will also be served on the days before and after the scrapped walkout, which had also faced disruption.

Balpa has said it will announce new strike dates if the London-based carrier refuses to negotiate. BA said it put forward new ideas through the state-backed Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service and remains “open and willing to negotiate.” The last mediated talks between the two sides at ACAS finished more than a month ago on Aug. 12.

IAG shares traded 2.1% higher at 476.80 pence as of 1:08 a.m. in the U.K. capital, increasing gains since the union suspended the action to 8%.

To contact the reporters on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net;Siddharth Philip in London at sphilip3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, John Bowker, John Lauerman

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