British Airways has 6,000 volunteers on standby to assist at airports and on aircraft if cabin crew union Unite follow through with threatened strike action.
In an internal memo to staff, BA chief executive Willie Walsh said 1,000 employees were ready to stand in as flight attendants.
Union members have been infuriated by colleagues' decision to cross the picket line, but sympathy shown by staff and the public towards militant cabin crew has been minimal.
ABTN understands that a significant majority of BA staff believe tcabin crew are acting selfishly and not considering the interests of employees in other departments.
BA cabin crew are known to enjoy market-leading salaries and significant travel perks, yet it is common knowledge that the airline is fighting for survival. In April the company will post record losses for a second successive year.
Walsh told staff that flights at London City Airport would not be affected if strike action starts.
At Gatwick, long-haul services would run as normal while only 50% of short-haul services would operate.
He said a "substantial" number of services at Heathrow would be unaffected, including all services operated by Boeing 777 aircraft.
In the memo Walsh reiterated that the company would not return to previous cabin crew levels.
By law, the union must give BA seven days notice of any industrial action. Any strike must also take place within 28 days of the ballot result.