Blaming pilots for ailing profits could lead to more strikes, BA told

British Airways pilots have warned the airline that it risks prompting more strikes after BA blamed industrial action for falling profits and took a E137m hit from the walkouts. IAG warned of a 6% drop in annual profits after revealing the high cost of strikes this month that led to more than 2,000 flight cancellations. Balpa said its BA members believed the carrier’s management was “treating them with contempt”, and had asked Balpa to consider more strike dates. Balpa said Thursday it was “completely disingenuous” of the airline to blame pilots for its profit performance. The union said BA could have avoided the strikes, and their cost, for an outlay of just GBP5m in the pay negotiations. The airline, however, has claimed that the pilot demands would cost the airline an extra GBP50m. <br/>