As 20 days of cabin crew strikes loom on the horizon and begining next week, British Airways are to take legal action to prevent the strikes by cabin crew. BA cite an irregularity in the strike ballot.

The strikes are due to start May 18-22 and walkouts and disruptions will cause misery for travellers yet again.

In the meantime mediator Acas has been invited to open discussions between BA and the union to find a away to avert what would be the longest cabn crew strike in BA's history.

Nevertheless BA has asserted that there was an irregularity in how the union had conducted the ballot strike and is therefore going back to court to block strike action.

BA released a statement saying "On this basis we have applied to the High Court for an injunction to stop the 20 days of strikes planned from Tuesday".

The union is taking strike action over pay and conditions imposed as away of saving £62.5 million annually, a measure they say is necessary to counter fuel price hikes and greater competition from other carriers.

If the strikes go ahead half of Heathrow's Europea n flights will be grounded but will aim to keep some short-haul and the busiest and most profitable long-haul routes operating.

BA is confident it will be able to carry around 70 percent of its customers which equates to around 60,000 passengers a day. 

Those whose flights are cancelled will be rebooked on earlier or later BA flights or on a fleet of 8 jets chartered for European destinations for the duration of the strike.

Destinations most effected will be Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Brussels, while flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town, New York and Hong Kong are epxected to take off more or less on schedule.

15 May 2010