Tens of thousands of air travellers faced another day of chaos yesterday after British Airways cancelled all its flights in and out of London's main Heathrow airport because of a wildcat strike.
It cancelled all its British, European and long-haul flights at the world's busiest international airport Thursday after baggage handlers walked out in sympathy with workers at the catering firm that prepares its in-flight meals.
With no immediate end to the dispute in sight, and with 100 aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew left stranded elsewhere around the world, British Airways said it would remain grounded yesterday.
PHOTO: EPA
"It is a huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else's dispute," said British Airway's chief executive Sir Rod Eddington.
British Airways operates some 550 flights a day at Heathrow at this time of year -- traditionally one of the busiest weeks for the airline industry, with legions of holidaymakers taking to the air.
As passengers arrived on Thursday to discover that they had been shut out of Heathrow's terminals, airport staff distributed fold-up chairs and bottles of water, and a race was on to find overnight accomodation for out-of-towners.
The chaos stems from the sacking of 800 workers from Gate Gourmet, an in-flight catering firm owned by a Texas investment group that counts British Airways as its biggest client at Heathrow, west of London.
Gate Gourmet said the layoffs were necessary for its survival, but the Transport and General Workers Union accused management of acting in a "disgraceful" fashion and urged British Airways to put pressure on it.
The dispute escalated sharply Thursday when baggage handlers, members of the same union, staged a spontaneous unofficial strike in support of their Gate Gourmet colleagues.
Besides British Airways, the walkout had a direct impact on Australian carrier Qantas, Finnair and Sri Lankan Airways, which depend on the same baggage handlers at Heathrow.
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