Failed negotiations with the pilot union are forcing the airline British Airways to cancel flights.

The weekend's negotiations between British Airways and the pilot union Balpa have largely been unsuccessful, therefore the airline has cancelled an overwhelming majority of Monday's and Tuesday's flights. According to the company's spokesperson, this concerns 850 flights that will not be carried out. The Sunday Times reports, however, that closer to 1,700 flights will be affected during the two-day strike.

 The traffic disruptions are mainly affecting London and the airports Heathrow and Gatwick. London City Airport is not affected as it is served by British Airways subsidiary Cityflyer.

The pilots have threatened to strike to push through their demands in negotiations for a new pay and profit-sharing agreement. It would be the first British Airways pilot strike since the 1970s.

The British pilots' union is also conducting conflict-ridden negotiations with Ryanair.

The airline British Airways and the pilots' union Balpa have been in conflict since the summer and, despite repeated discussions, have not reached an agreement in negotiations concerning the pay budget. According to the British BBC, a total of 1,600 flights are affected during the two-day strike.

”We are extremely sorry for the problems the strike is causing,” the company writes in a statement to its customers.

British Airways is urging passengers not to gather at airports. More than 300,000 passengers are estimated to be affected by the two-day strike, writes The Sunday Times 

Balpa has also warned of a strike on 27 September.

Source: di.se