LONDON, Aug 13: British Airways resumed more than 80 per cent of its scheduled flights from London’s Heathrow Airport on Saturday while staff struggled to clear the backlog from a wildcat strike during the peak summer holiday season.
Some 1,000 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 percent of short-haul flights, some 170 departures, and 80 percent 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 percent 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.
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.—Reuters
