British Airways is canceling 16,000 flights and staff are threatening wage strikes, raising fears of travel chaos in the summer

BRITHS Airways is to cancel 16,000 flights and its employees are threatening wage strikes – stoking fears of summer travel chaos.

Around 60 trips per day – about 10 percent of all BA flights – are to be canceled between March and autumn.

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As BA juggles staff shortages, employees who will be hit by the cuts are voting on whether to go on strike, the Daily Mail reports.

Many have already accepted a 10 per cent pay cut during the pandemic – now they want to get their full pay back as the cost of living soars.

GMB union representative Nadine Houghton said it was “no wonder” workers were considering taking a stand.

GMB and Unite union bosses know how many people will take part in a strike if wage demands are not met.

Among other things, the ground staff refused a “generous” one-time lump sum — about 10 percent of their salary — because it would keep the long-term pay cut in place.

However, it is believed that the majority of employees accepted the incentive.

The airline was forced to reduce its flight schedule through May to avoid short-term disruption to passengers.

Both domestic and international flights have been affected, with European hotspots affected including Malaga, Palma and Lisbon.

Ten flights across the UK have been canceled, with domestic routes from Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen affected.

The rest of the canceled flights are across Europe, with destinations such as Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna and Zurich affected.

Travelers on the canceled flights were informed a few weeks in advance.

EasyJet has also canceled a number of flights across the UK and Europe, affecting more than 70 from Gatwick Airport.

It comes just hours after BA was forced to cancel long-haul flights over the summer, putting the bank holidays at risk.

BA has suspended UK flights to Miami, Hong Kong and Tokyo throughout the summer and plans to scrap routes for at least four months.

The company’s owner, International Airlines Group, said: “The problems that we have with BA, we also see with other airlines.”

It comes as passengers at Manchester and Bristol terminals were stuck in huge queues, with some waiting more than three hours to check in.

Travelers have complained of huge lines at check-in counters and severe delays at security.

The problems, which include recruitment difficulties, have prompted several airlines to cancel large numbers of flights.

And industry experts have warned Britons to arrive in time lest they miss the launch.

Janine Blackburn, traveling through Manchester Airport yesterday, said: “As if taking three hours to get through wasn’t bad enough, [I’m] now delayed because the passengers cannot get to the gate on time.”

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