British Airways: No flight cancellation on Christmas Day and Boxing Day

British Airways assures that normal operation continues on Christmas Day and Boxing Day despite a planned strike by its cabin crew. The airline's chief executive and chairman Alex Cruz reassures that there will be no flight cancellation during the holidays and the attempt to ruin the celebration for thousands of customers fails.

He said that the company has been working on detailed contingency plans including one in Heathrow, London which is expected to be published in the next three days. He also assured that all long-haul flights will proceed including flights out of Gatwick and London City airports.

The airlines will try to find a connecting flight on one of many carriers in case flight cancellation happens.

The 48-hour strike was called by Unite union which is scheduled on Friday and Christmas Eve on 18 airports across the UK. The British Airways is expected to be affected by the strike on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.

The airline is urging the Union to abandon the strike call as it only gives anxiety among the mixed fleet cabin crew members.

The strike was triggered due to the poverty pay received by British Airways' mixed fleet staff who joined from 2010 onwards. They claimed that the pays they received were significantly worse than longer-serving cabin crew. They also said that the cabin crew were forced to work even if they were unfit to fly. According to Unite, the flying allowance given to the crew only cost £3 (AU$5) per hour.

However, Cruz said that the mixed fleet's pay is competitive and they earned between £21,000 (AU$35, 900) and £27,000 (AU$46,000) a year. He said that the airlines was encouraging the union to have a positive dialogue with them.

Unite's general secretary Len McCluskey said that they were delighted that the airlines heeded their call. McCluskey said that the workers' living wage and equal treatment must be heard.