Virgin Atlantic pilots consider strike over fatigue

Pilots at Virgin Atlantic have indicated they would consider going on strike following "serious concerns" about fatigue and their wellbeing.

Union Balpa said that in a recent vote, 96% of Virgin Atlantic pilots supported a ballot on industrial action.

At issue are scheduling and rostering arrangements that were put in place during Covid which will come to an end in December.

Virgin said it was willing to enter into talks in the coming weeks.

The airline said the existing pay and lifestyle agreement was "agreed, developed and supported by Balpa pilot representatives within Virgin Atlantic, and our pilot community".

A spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said: "We continue to honour all agreements and have offered to enter formal pay and lifestyle negotiations with Balpa's pilot union representatives in the coming weeks, well in advance of the agreement expiring in December."

Airlines were one of the worst hit industries during the pandemic after international travel came to a standstill to stop the spread of Covid.

Virgin Atlantic employs 835 pilots and it is believed the majority are members of the Balpa pilots' union.

A spokesperson for Balpa said: "Our members have registered a trade dispute with Virgin Atlantic arising out of serious concerns relating to pilot fatigue and wellbeing around scheduling and rostering arrangements, implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic."

It said that 81% of its Virgin Atlantic union members voted in the ballot which its said gave Balpa "an overwhelming mandate to pursue this dispute".

The maximum flying time for a commercial pilot is 900 hours per calendar year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

It is understood that the rostered average for Virgin Atlantic pilots is around 750 hours.

Virgin Atlantic is part of Virgin Group, which was founded by Sir Richard Branson.

The billionaire recently told the BBC that he feared losing his entire business empire, which also include gyms and hotels, during the pandemic. He said the shutdowns cost him £1.5bn personally.

Sir Richard had asked the UK government for help in 2020 but was rejected. In the end, Virgin Group injected £200m into the airline and secured other investment to keep the business afloat.

At the time, it cut 3,500 staff, leaving it with 6,500 employees.

On Sunday, a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic said that the airline "underwent a radical transformation as a result of the impact of Covid-19, which was possible due to the collective effort of our amazing people".

They said: "This was fundamental to our survival and our steadfast commitment to returning to sustainable profitability. We're grateful to them all, including our pilots who play a pivotal role in the success of our operation."

Balpa said its members "feel very strongly" about pilot fatigue and wellbeing.

The union said it prefers to address matters through "negotiation and industrial compromise and will only countenance industrial action as a last resort".

It added: "We remain ready to commence negotiations to find an acceptable way forward and urge Virgin Atlantic to listen to its staff and put forward an acceptable offer that our members could support."