British Airways failed Tuesday in a legal attempt to block a planned strike action by pilots, but immediately said it intends to appeal the decision. A High Court in London rejected BA’s call to scrap the results of the BALPA vote, saying the union’s member ballot for industrial action had been conducted correctly. The ballot produced a 93% vote in favour of a strike over a pay claim. BALPA urged the airline to negotiate rather than resort to the courts. “While we’re pleased with the judge’s decision, we’re frustrated that time has been wasted,” it said. “BA could have spent this time coming back to the negotiating table instead of trying—and failing—to tie us up in legal knots." BA said: “We are very disappointed with today’s decision. We will continue to pursue every avenue to protect the holidays of thousands of our customers this summer." <br/>
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British Airways pilots’ planned strike may cost the airline as much as US$50m a day, the airline said in a lawsuit as it seeks to halt the walkout. Pilots at the airline backed industrial action -- including what would be their first strike in about 4 decades -- with a 93% majority, the British Airline Pilots Association said Monday. While it’s impossible to accurately assess the costs, it’ll be “very substantial indeed,” running to between GBP30m ($37.4m) and GBP40m pounds a day, the airline said in its filings for a hearing at London’s High Court. BA is seeking an injunction to halt the strike, which it expects to start on or soon after Aug 7. “There can be no doubt that the timing of the action is deliberate and is designed to cause the maximum in financial loss and disruption for BA,” the airline said in court filings. <br/>
Qantas' plans for a new code-sharing deal with Cathay Pacific on flights between Hong Kong and Australia have been dashed by a finding that it could crush their smaller competitor Virgin Australia. The two carriers have a code-share arrangement that lets customers book tickets on each other's flights between the two countries, and last year they proposed expanding that to include connecting domestic flights within Australia or to destinations further afield in Asia. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and Virgin raised concerns about the deal, and Australia's international airline regulator issued a draft decision rejecting it in May. After considering further submissions, the International Air Services Commission doubled down on its rejection in a final decision Tuesday. <br/>
Khazanah Nasional has hired Morgan Stanley to explore strategic options for Malaysia Airlines, the nation’s loss-making carrier, according to people familiar with the matter. The investment bank will be responsible for looking at options for the airline, including a potential stake sale, said the people who asked not to be named. Khazanah, Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund and the sole shareholder of the airline, aims to get a deal done by the end of this year, one of the people said. Discussions are ongoing and details including timeline could still change, the people said. Khazanah asked Malaysia Airlines to come up with a strategic plan in February to help it compete in the aviation industry and deliver better returns after it missed 2 profitability deadlines. <br/>
The new president of the American Airlines pilots' union says his group will help assure the public that the Boeing 737 Max is safe when it is cleared to fly again. But Eric Ferguson also says Boeing needs to fully explain how the Max differs from previous versions of the 737 — something Boeing failed to do when it rolled out the new model. "We can't know what we do not know, so we are expecting full disclosure of every modification to the air frame," Ferguson said Monday. "When we see Allied Pilots Association pilots operating the airplane, the flying public can be assured that it is safe to operate, we will not compromise in that area," Ferguson said. He added that the pilots "will participate as necessary to assure the public that it is safe." <br/>
An American Airlines flight attendant was bitten by an emotional support dog on a flight from Dallas to North Carolina Monday, prompting union calls to further tighten rules on in-flight animals. The unnamed male flight attendant required five stitches on his hand when he returned to Dallas. The type of dog was not disclosed. "What happened on yesterday’s American Airlines flight is completely unacceptable and inexcusable,'' the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said late Tuesday. The union said it has long supported the use of trained service animals to help passengers but said the industry needs standards for the less-defined category of emotional support animals. Critics have complained passengers are able to get instant certification for an emotional support animal, and that many aren't properly trained. <br/>