British Airways faces second strike

Dubai: The second weekend of the British Airways (BA) cabin crew strike will cause flights to and from the Middle East to be cancelled again.

According to BA's announcement yesterday, arrivals and departures in the region will indeed be affected despite the airline saying that it "has been able to expand the flight schedule for the second strike period because of the increased numbers of cabin crew wishing to work as normal" and confirmed that "70 per cent of all long haul flights are operating as planned."

Cancellations

To rebook a flight, customers in the UAE have to call BA's local offices in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. The number to contact is 8000 441 3322.

Daily return flights from London to Abu Dhabi and Muscat are operating on normal schedule.

The BA0125 London-Manama-Doha daily return flight has been cancelled from March 27 to 30.

Flights from London to Kuwait and Riyadh remain unchanged.

Customers who are booked on flights that have been cancelled will be offered seats on alternative British Airways flights or on services operated by other airlines or offered a full refund, according to an airline's spokesperson.

Support

Willie Walsh, British Airways' chief executive, said "I would like to thank all our customers for their patience and support.

"I apologise to those whose flights will regrettably have to be cancelled because of the trade union's continuing action. This second strike is the work of a trade union that — despite its promises — seems determined to try to ruin the Easter holiday plans for thousands of families."