Mum's win a victory for female pilots

London: A pilot for British Airways who wanted more time to look after her daughter won a major victory yesterday that will pave the way for other female pilots to work part-time.

Her union, Balpa, yesterday hailed the result as a "major victory for women's rights".

Jessica Starmer, 28, was originally denied her request to work 50 per cent of full-time hours but won her case at an employment tribunal two years ago. Since then she has been working 75 per cent of the normal week.

Today British Airways agreed to withdraw its appeal in fighting Starmer's 50 per cent claim and agreed to make a donation to charity and contribution to her costs. The company now intends that pilots in similar circumstances will be eligible for 50 per cent contracts in the future.

Resign

Starmer, who flew short-haul Airbus A320 flights from Heathrow, had said she would have had to resign from her £50,000 (Dh354,629)-a-year "dream job" if airline bosses had continued to refuse to reduce her working hours.

BA originally refused her request to halve her working hours on safety grounds, saying it required pilots with fewer than 2,000 hours' flying time to work at least 75 per cent of a normal rota. At the time Starmer had completed about 1,100 hours.

Since then Starmer has been working at 75 per cent of normal hours and BA said today it recognised the "high standards that she has been able to maintain".