British Airways plans to ensure unions attempt to disrupt flights over the Christmas period will “fail”.
Cabin crew members are set to strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in a dispute over pay.
It affects staff that joined the airline from 2010 on ‘Mixed Fleet’ contracts - expected to work on both short and long haul flights – and feel they are not paid enough.
Alex Cruz, British Airways CEO and chairman, said: "We are making sure that this attempt to ruin Christmas for thousands of our customers fails. Over the weekend we have been working on detailed contingency plans to ensure that we are able to operate our normal flight programme from all our airports on both Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
"We urge Unite to abandon this strike call, which is serving only to cause anxiety among our Mixed Fleet cabin crew colleagues.”
Cruz has disputed union claims that cabin crew are underpaid saying that through pay, incentives, bonus and allowances employees on the mixed fleet contracts are paid a minimum of £21,000 a year.
BA said: “We are seeking to improve this package and we encourage Unite to start a positive dialogue with us about our proposals.
"We continue to seek a non-disruptive solution to issues of concern to our Mixed Fleet colleagues. That is why we initiated the talks at the conciliation service ACAS today.”