Virgin Atlantic Christmas strike: Back-up planes on standby ahead of pilot walkout

‘We’ve secured additional aircraft that, if required, will provide extra capacity to make sure all of our customers can reach their final destinations,’ says airline spokesperson

(Reuters)

With five days before some pilots at Virgin Atlantic begin a Christmas strike, the airline has revealed plans to charter in extra capacity.

Members of the Professional Pilots’ Union (PPU) working for Virgin Atlantic have voted for industrial action in a dispute over union recognition.

The union has been seeking recognition from the airline for several years, but the airline founded by Sir Richard Branson continues to negotiate only with the British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa).

Over 300 pilots working for Virgin belong to the PPU – representing about one-third of the airline’s total flight-deck crew – were balloted on strike action. Around 72 per cent of the membership cast votes, and 72 per cent voted in favour of strike action. The airline calculates that one in six of its total cohort of pilots voted to walk out.

The union has announced its first stoppage will be for four days from 22 December, up to and including Christmas Day.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said: “Our priority is to ensure that our customers can complete their travel plans this Christmas, regardless of any proposed industrial action from 16 per cent of our pilots who voted for this.

“We’ve been working hard to ensure this remains the case and as a result, we have a number of contingency plans in place.

“We’ve secured additional aircraft that, if required, will provide extra capacity to make sure all of our customers can reach their final destinations.”

The Independent has asked the airline for details of the aircraft and airline providing the back-up.

The Virgin Atlantic spokesperson also said: “We’re seeking an injunction at the High Court and we expect the court date to be later this week.”

When British Airways cabin crew announced a 12-day strike beginning on 22 December 2009, the airline successfully won an injunction in the High Court which stopped the strike going ahead.

The PPU was set up by pilots who felt that Balpa did not sufficiently represent the interests of Virgin Atlantic staff, and regarded it as giving undue focus to British Airways flight crew.

It tells prospective members: “Run by pilots, for pilots, we are an organisation that places the real interests of you, your career and your future at the core of everything we do.”