British Airways clearing backlog after strike

LONDON - British Airways resumed more than 80 per cent of its scheduled flights from Heathrow Airport on Saturday while staff struggled to clear the backlog from a wildcat strike during the peak summer holiday season.

Some 1000 British Airways (BA) staff walked out on Thursday in support of workers who were sacked at the company's catering supplier, Gate Gourmet. More than 700 flights at the world's busiest international hub have since been cancelled.

British Airways said 85 per cent of short-haul flights, some 170 departures, and 80 per cent of long-haul, or 60 flights, were scheduled to leave Heathrow on Saturday.

"They are all going and there have not been any problems so far," said spokeswoman Nicola Register, adding that plans for Sunday should be announced later on Saturday evening.

About 100,000 passengers fly daily with BA during August and about two thirds of its flights, excluding franchises, use Heathrow. The strike grounded more than 110,000 passengers and more disruption was expected on Sunday.

"It tends to take two or three days to get back to 100 per cent operations," Register said. "Definitely tomorrow and Monday are looking slightly disjointed."

Thousands of passengers were still stranded at the airport and large tents were erected outside two terminals to provide shelter. A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said it had treated some people for exhaustion, stress and dehydration.

Mike Street, the airline's director of customer services and operations, said BA faced a complex logistical challenge with at least 100 aircraft and 1,000 flying crew in the wrong place.

"We are working as hard as we can to get customers away on their holidays," he said.

UNPRECEDENTED SITUATION

"We apologise unreservedly to our customers," BA said on its website. "This is an unprecedented situation."

The airline said only customers with confirmed reservations would be accepted into the airport for travel. Barriers at Terminal 4 stopped those without a confirmed seat from entering.

Arbitrator ACAS has begun talks with the catering workers' union and Gate Gourmet in a hotel near Heathrow. Both sides were locked in negotiations on Saturday and spokesmen for ACAS and the company said they expected talks to resume on Sunday.

"The likelihood is that they are going to wind up soon and resume tomorrow," said ACAS spokesman Alistair Frew.

Passengers who did get a BA flight out of Heathrow on Friday were given food parcels and vouchers before leaving due to the absence of on-board catering.

"My wife was due to give birth yesterday," said Australian Glen Perryman, 25. "I don't know what's happening. I could be a dad already. I just want to get out of here and get back home.

"I'm not angry though, because what can you do?"

Analysts said the cancellations could cost Europe's No. 3 airline tens of millions of pounds.

Shares in BA, already suffering from record oil prices and competition from low-cost carriers, fell as much as 2.5 per cent in early trade on Friday. They recovered during the session and closed down 0.8 per cent at 290 pence.

Unofficial strikes in 2003 cost BA some 40 million pounds and analysts said the firm was getting a reputation for letting customers down. BA said it was too early to estimate the cost this time.

BA's relations with staff have been strained since the airline axed thousands of jobs in an industry downturn that followed the September 2001 attacks on the United States.

- REUTERS