British Airways cancels 'nearly 100 percent' of flights amid pilots' strike

British Airways says it's "extremely sorry" to have to cancel just about every flight scheduled for the next two days as its pilots go on strike.

The airline on Monday announced that "nearly 100 percent" of Monday and Tuesday's flights have been canceled, CNN reports. This comes amid the beginning of a strike announced by the British Airline Pilots Association in August amid a pay dispute with the company.

"After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this," British Airways said in a statement. The airline said it will offer affected customers refunds or the ability to rebook their flight.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

British Airways typically operates about 850 flights daily, The Associated Press reports. CNN reports the airline's pilots hadn't gone on strike since the 1970s. On Sunday, the British Airline Pilots Association said management "didn't reply" to a proposal last week that would have prevented this strike; British Airways, which has offered an 11.5 percent pay raise over three years, says it's "ready and willing to return to talks with BALPA."

In addition to this 48-hour strike, the British Airline Pilots Association also announced a strike planned for Sept. 27. British Airways on Monday told customers with flights booked for this date that "we'll be in contact in the next few weeks if your flight is impacted."