British Airways pilots have called off a strike scheduled for 27 September, saying it was “time for a period of reflection” to avoid damage to the brand.
Pilots walked out for two days earlier this month, forcing the airline to cancel nearly all of its flights and causing chaos for passengers.
The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) said the strike “had demonstrated the anger and resolve of pilots” and hopes the move will bring BA to “change its approach and negotiate seriously” to end the dispute over the carrier’s offer of an 11.5 per cent pay rise over three years.
General secretary Brian Strutton commented: “Someone has to take the initiative to sort out this dispute and with no sign of that from BA, the pilots have decided to take the responsible course. In a genuine attempt at establishing a time out for common sense to prevail, we have lifted the threat of the strike on 27 September.
“BA passengers rightly expect BA and its pilots to resolve their issues without disruption and now is the time for cool heads and pragmatism to be brought to bear. I hope BA and its owner IAG show as much responsibility as the pilots.”
However, BALPA said it has the right to call further strikes if negotiations fail or do not take place.
BA had already started the process of reviewing its flight schedule during the strike. The airline has now said it will try to reinstate as many of these service as possible, but it is not clear if all flights will return to normal. It said it would contact passengers when it has more information.