BA told 'do better' as maternity pay policy emerges

British Airways’ stated commitment to recruiting more female pilots has been called into question after it emerged that the flag carrier offers only a “scandalous” six weeks’ maternity pay to its staff. Although BA has launched a recruitment drive to get more women in the cockpit for its centenary year, and employs about 300 female pilots, any who become pregnant face a 90% pay cut. This leads some to choose between financial hardship or terminations, according to unions. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the current level of maternity pay across the aviation industry was a scandal and an obstacle to women joining the profession. Pilots are often the sole or main earner in families, it said, while younger pilots may still be paying off training costs which can typically exceed GBP100,000. Lilian Greenwood, the chair of the Commons transport select committee, said BA needed to do better, adding that there was a big difference between observing the legal minimum and standard practice. She said: “BA is better than the average for female pilot recruitment, but a long way from where it should be. If they are serious about change and improving that balance they have do better – not just professional development but supporting women during their career, if they want to combine that with being a mother.”<br/>