Reduced impact of the strike by British Airways cabin crew has helped keep daily losses down to an estimated £5.5 million, according to the airline.
The daily loss is down from the £7 million a day incurred during the first walkout.
BA flew 118,575 passengers over the weekend, an increase of 37% over the 86,262 carried during the first strike-hit weekend.
“This strong and improved operational performance made possible by dedicated BA staff has further reduced the impact of the disruption. The estimate is a daily impact of £5.5 million for each day this weekend,” BA said.
The airline ran 308 or 83% of its long haul programme (273 or 78% last weekend) and 623 or 67% of its short haul programme (442 or 50% last weekend) over the first two days of the current industrial action.
Total number of passenger flights increased 30% from 715 to 931.
Seat factors were 75% in long haul and 64% in short haul.
The airline also operated 61 positioning flights to carry cargo and return passengers home, nine less than the previous weekend.
Wet lease aircraft halved from 22 to 11 – costing around £495,000 for the weekend – as BA operated a larger number of its own aircraft.
BA said it operated all of its normal schedule at Gatwick.
Unite, which is believed to be considering a third wave of strikes after Easter, confirmed that it is to raise £700,000 from union branches to support the industrial action.
The funds will be in addition to the money the union is paying to crew in strike pay.
A mandatory two per cent levy will be placed on Unite’s branches for the next quarter to support the strikers.
Unite joint general secretary Tony Woodley said: "We continue to search for a decent settlement in this dispute but cabin crew are not going to be driven back to work for lack of resources."
*See separate story for latest YouTube message from BA CEO Willie Walsh.
by Phil Davies
