BA strike news – live: Latest updates as almost all flights cancelled in second day of pilot walkout

The walkout is the biggest strike in the airline's history

Heathrow Terminal 5 almost empty as British Airways pilots strike

British Airways pilots that are members of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) have walked out for the second day in a 48-hour strike over pay.

It's the biggest walkout in the airline's history, with almost all flights cancelled from Heathrow and Gatwick. Flights from London City are unaffected.

British Airways has warned passengers not to show up at the airport if their flight is cancelled.

Follow below for live updates

Key Points

• All outbound flights cancelled today
• Passengers warned not to travel to the airport if their flight is cancelled
• Heathrow Terminal 5 has been described as a 'ghost town'

[10 September 2019 08:33 · Cathy Adams]

It's the second day of a 48-hour walkout by British Airways pilots, with almost no BA flights departing London Heathrow and London Gatwick airports.

Flights from London City airport are unaffected.

[10 September 2019 08:34 · Cathy Adams]

The only departure on the British Airways schedule from Heathrow Terminal 5 today is an afternoon flight to Cairo – operated by Air Belgium.

From Gatwick, BA passengers will travel to New York JFK on a flight operated by Evelop Airlines, a Spanish charter carrier. An Air Baltic flight to and from Riga will operate under a British Airways number.

Three BA planes will operate on maintenance flights, to Cardiff, Bournemouth and Madrid.

[10 September 2019 08:39 · Cathy Adams]

An update from British Airways on its website this morning:

We understand the frustration and disruption BALPA’s strike action has caused you. After many months of trying to resolve the pay dispute, we are extremely sorry that it has come to this.

Unfortunately, with no detail from BALPA on which pilots would strike, we had no way of predicting how many would come to work or which aircraft they are qualified to fly, so we had no option but to cancel nearly 100 per cent our flights.

We remain ready and willing to return to talks with BALPA.

Our customer teams – supported by additional colleagues – have been working tirelessly to help as many of you as possible and to provide options, including a full refund or re-booking to a different date of travel or alternative airline.

We are offering all affected customers full refunds or the option to re-book to another date of travel or alternative airline.

[10 September 2019 08:46 · Cathy Adams]

Brian Strutton, general secretary of Balpa, tells The Independent:

Our dispute is a very serious one. It’s about pay and benefits, but underlying that is a real breakdown between British Airways and its pilots.

We need to find a way of resolving both the dispute between us and and finding a way to rebuild that trust.

[10 September 2019 09:02 · Cathy Adams]

The 48-hour strike is due to end at midnight tonight.

Tonight, a wave of long-haul BA flights from locations including Dubai, Nairobi and New York are due to depart shortly before midnight, with a near-normal service expected on Wednesday and later in the week.

[10 September 2019 09:19 · Cathy Adams]

The only flights operating from Heathrow Terminal 5 today are Iberia-operated routes to Madrid.

[10 September 2019 09:34 · Cathy Adams]

All British Airways flights from London City airport are operating as normal so far this morning. Flights from City are unaffected by the pilot strike.

[10 September 2019 10:02 · Cathy Adams]

Today there are just three British Airways planes in the skies, according to Plane Finder:

[10 September 2019 10:33 · Cathy Adams]

A survey conducted by consumer intelligence platform Toluna suggests that while the British Airways strike will cause "brief annoyance and inconvenience", customers will forget about it fairly quickly.

The group found that more than half of respondents feel that BA has handled the strike as best as possible, and 88% said they would likely fly with the airline again.

[10 September 2019 10:34 · Cathy Adams]

A British Airways spokesperson says:

We are very sorry that the cynical action of the pilots' union has left our customers and colleagues in this position and remain ready and willing to return to talks with Balpa.