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British Airways cancels flights as pilots go on strike

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British Airways cancels flights as pilots go on strike

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA's British Airways PLC said it has no option but to cancel nearly all its flights Sept. 9, as the first day of a pilot strike over a long-simmering pay dispute knocked out the carrier's operations, multiple outlets reported.

About 195,000 passengers were affected, while only five out of about 800 scheduled flights were expected to operate during the first half of a 48-hour strike called by the British Airline Pilots Association due to disagreements with management on pay and benefits, The Guardian and The Washington Post reported.

The pilots union estimated that British Airways will lose about £40 million on the first day of the strike. Another strike action is slated for Sept. 27 if the two parties fail to reach an agreement.

The British flag carrier had fielded almost 400,000 calls since the strike dates were announced in late August and offered new bookings and refunds for affected passengers, The Guardian quoted British Airways as saying.

The pilots union had earlier rejected a pay rise of 11.5% over three years and instead pushed for profit sharing for its members, saying British Airways pilots had accepted pay cuts to help the company following the 2008 financial crisis.

British Airways made £2.091 billion in profit in 2018, according to its year-end report.