British Airways Running Ghost Flights to Train Ground Staff

Apparently British Airways is currently running ghost flights to train ground staff as cabin crew in order to minimize the potential disruption that would be caused by a strike. Flights are operating from Heathrow to Cardiff and Glasgow to allow them to gain experience in the air. Other colleagues are pretending to be passengers on the plane.

British Airways usually trains its cabin crew on scheduled services with paying customers. These people work alongside experienced staff. However, these emergency crew are undergoing intensive training to get them ready quicker.

The airline did confirm that they are flying these ghost flights but did note that they do serve a purpose. They are not simply running empty planes for the fun of it. A spokeswoman for The Times said that, as part of the Civil Aviation Authority approved training course, the volunteer cabin crews have to take part in a day of flight familiarization. This is a great way for ground crew to get a good feel for what it’s like being a cabin crew member.

The workers union Unite received an 81 percent vote from members in support of industrial action. If the strike moves ahead, then it could start at any time after March 18th. British Airways told its 25,000 strong ground staff that they could be trained as strand-in cabin crew after 21 days of instructions. The union claims that the airline could train only a fraction of the 12,000 cabin crew employees that run 650 flights a day. British Airways has not revealed just how many people they have trained or will train to take the place of the striking cabin crew.