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BA flights cancelled after sale Jobs shake up as BA sells service
(about 5 hours later)
A number of flights out of Scotland have been cancelled after British Airways confirmed the sale of its BA Connect service to Flybe. British Airways is in talks to transfer some ground handling operations and offer voluntary redundancies in a move affecting more than 430 Scots jobs.
British Airways said it had been trying to contact any passengers who will be affected by cancellations. If the move goes ahead, BA ground staff at Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports would be transferred to Aviance UK, part of the Go-Ahead group.
Flights from Glasgow to Birmingham, and from Edinburgh to Birmingham and Southampton, have been cancelled. Details emerged as 15 flights were cancelled out of Scotland after the sale of BA Connect service to Flybe.
Also, BA ground staff at Edinburgh and Glasgow told BBC Scotland they expected to be told about job cuts shortly. Edinburgh to Hamburg and Aberdeen to Manchester flights have been cancelled.
Redundancies are expected after British Airways confirmed plans to transfer its ground handling operations at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. The move has affected 800 Scottish passengers who were booked on flights until 25 March. They have been offered alternative flights with BA.
'Money back' We are taking over an air service that has been losing £40m a year, because of that we are looking at culling 1% or 2% of loss-making flights Mike RutterFlybe spokesman
A new Flybe route between Edinburgh to Rennes in France will start in May.
Two key routes from Edinburgh to Paris Charles de Gaulle and Manchester, previously operated by BA Connect, will be transferred over to Flybe.
Flybe will also take over the routes from Glasgow to Manchester, Inverness to London Gatwick and Aberdeen to Birmingham.
Flybe said the deal to take over BA Connect would see it become Europe's largest regional airline, with passengers set to benefit from the deal.
Mike Rutter, spokesman for Flybe, said passenger disruption caused by the BA Connect sale would be kept to a minimum.
'Loss-making flights'
He said: "We are taking over an air service that has been losing £40m a year, because of that we are looking at culling 1% or 2% of loss-making flights.
"None of these cancellations are being carried out immediately. Passengers travelling on these routes will be offered alternative flights with compensation or will have their money refunded."
Brendan Gold, Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) national secretary for civil air transport, said: "There is a growing mood of anger now as our members have suffered real anxieties about their futures since the announcement in November last year that BA intended to sell its BA Connect operation to Flybe."
Flybe will take over many BA Connect routes
A spokesman for BA said 434 staff in Edinburgh (218), Glasgow (160), and Aberdeen (56) would be offered contracts with an outsourced company.A spokesman for BA said 434 staff in Edinburgh (218), Glasgow (160), and Aberdeen (56) would be offered contracts with an outsourced company.
The spokesman said it has entered exclusive talks with Aviance UK, part of the Go-ahead transport company on Monday. The spokesman said it had entered exclusive talks with Aviance UK on Monday.
He said a 90-day consultation about the 730 jobs (including Manchester posts) affected had started with trades unions.He said a 90-day consultation about the 730 jobs (including Manchester posts) affected had started with trades unions.
Staff will be offered the choice of moving to Aviance UK, which is the largest ground handling company in Britain, redeployment within BA or voluntary severance.Staff will be offered the choice of moving to Aviance UK, which is the largest ground handling company in Britain, redeployment within BA or voluntary severance.
Flybe said the deal to take over BA Connect would see it become Europe's largest regional airline with passengers set to benefit from the deal. Ed Blissett, GMB national officer said, "All BA workers at the six major regional airports of Aberdeen, Inverness, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh will be devastated and fear for their future employment with BA."
Planned routes Customer Ian Fleming, from Stirling told the BBC Scotland news website: "I've just started to use the Edinburgh to Southampton route as an alternative to Heathrow for meetings in the south west.
Flybe said two routes from Scotland will be axed, but said it was not predicting any job losses. "Yet again BA start toying with their customers and think that it is acceptable to just cancel routes that are not profitable at a moments notice."
It also said it planned to operate some new routes. John Dalziel, from Edinburgh, said: "This has been going on for some time now, with nonsensical excuses ranging from technical issues with ageing aircraft, to Easyjet poaching BA Connect staff pre-takeover.
Mike Rutter, spokesman for Flybe, said passenger disruption caused by the BA Connect sale would be kept to a minimum. "I fly weekly and it has seriously impacted upon my carrier choice to any destination."
He added: "We are taking over an air service that has been losing £40m a year, because of that we are looking at culling one or 2% of loss-making flights.
"None of these cancellations are being carried out immediately. Passengers travelling on these routes will be offered alternative flights with compensation or will have their money refunded."