Perpetuity Group

Travel disruption - Union announces BA strike dates

The Unite trade union has called for British Airways (BA) cabin crew to strike from 20-22 March and 27-30 March.  More protests are possible after 14 April.

Strike action seems likely although BA continues to negotiate with the union. Disruption to travel is unavoidable with initial assessments indicating flights from London City Airport will run normally but travel to and from Gatwick and Heathrow will be disrupted. Short-haul and domestic flights are expected to be the worst affected. Travel planning should anticipate disruptions to BA flights on these dates.  Consequently, other airlines may experience greater demand, requiring early arrangement of travel itineraries.

Influenza scenarios in 2010

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published a risk assessment for pandemic and seasonal influenza outbreaks in Europe for 2010 and 2011. The ECDC concluded that there are no significant unrecognised uninfected populations worldwide that could be susceptible to the virus and cause a new wave of infection.  Also, the A/H1N1 virus has not mutated into a more virulent form.  

 

It is thought that the risk of another spring/summer pandemic wave in Europe is unlikely. Although the risk of pandemic and seasonal influenza outbreaks is not as great in 2010, CSBC continues to monitor H1N1 activity and its potential impact on business operations and travel.