British Airways cabin crew have accepted a peace deal to end their long-running conflict with the company.

Unite announced that the 18-month dispute was over after 92% of its members voted to accept an “honourable settlement” offered by BA. 

Just 8% of almost 10,000 union members voted against the move in a turnout of 72%.

The deal ends one of the longest industrial disputes in recent history, with the bitter row threatening flights from UK airports including Stansted and Luton last summer.  

Under the terms of the agreement, travel concessions will be returned to the BA crew who had the facility removed when they went on strike last year, Unite said. 

The union added that agreement had also been reached on a new pay deal, as well as the safeguarding of routes and working arrangements as BA introduces a new fleet of crew.

There will also be a third party binding arbitration process established to consider the cases of crew disciplined by the airline during the dispute.

Len McCluskey, Unite’s general secretary, who drew up the deal with BA’s chief executive Keith Williams, said: “Unite always firmly believed that this dispute would be solved not through conflict but through negotiation. Thankfully we have reached an honourable agreement with BA.

“The overwhelming acceptance of this deal by cabin crew means that both parties can now move forward together on securing a bright future for the airline.”

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Liberal Democrat peer Floella Benjamin has called for changes to be made to air passenger duty so that it doesn’t discriminate against people visiting the Caribbean.

Currently, people travelling from a UK airport to the Caribbean pay more tax than those travelling to California, for example. This is despite the distance to the Caribbean being significantly shorter.

The Treasury is consulting on proposals that would see countries placed in tax bands according to the distance of their capital from the UK.

Speaking in the House of Lords, Baroness Benjamin, who was born in Thailand, said: “Any negative impact on tourism in the Caribbean will have far-reaching consequences. If jobs are lost and alternative employment is not available, we all know this will have a cost – to governments in supplying welfare as well as the potential increase in crime.

“The UK is home to around 800,000 members of the Caribbean diaspora and they view APD with a huge sense of injustice. Many of these citizens were encouraged to come to the UK in the 50s and 60s and have spent their lives working in public service.

“Now in retirement, the money they have saved to pay for visits, often for funerals, weddings or to see sick relatives, suddenly does not go as far because many of them have been low-income earners.”

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BAA has revealed that passenger numbers at Scotland’s three largest airports rose significantly in March, compared to February. 

The airport operator revealed that passenger numbers at Edinburgh Airport increased by 5%, while they rose by 4.9% at Aberdeen Airport and were up 3.9% at Glasgow Airport.

During the month, 611,100 passengers touched down or took off from Edinburgh, 416,300 used Glasgow and 204,600 used Aberdeen.

However, BAA revealed its six UK airports handled 7.1 million passengers in February 2011 – which represents a 0.2% fall on February’s figure.

A BAA statement said: “In Scotland, the number of passengers using BAA’s three airports is growing, as some services and passengers lost during the economic downturn return and new routes are added.  

“Although February is traditionally the quietest month of the year, Scotland – and Edinburgh in particular – benefited from rugby-related traffic during the Six Nations championship.

“Each of the Scottish airports reported increases, with consistently strong performance on European scheduled routes. Glasgow was up by 3.9% in total but by 13.1% on European services. Edinburgh was up 5% overall but by 20.7% on European routes. Aberdeen recorded a 4.9% gain.”

In England, Heathrow passenger numbers rose 0.5%, but Stansted was down 6.3% and Southampton Airport handled 9.5% fewer passengers.

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British Airways and Iberia shareholders have voted in favour of a £5 billion merger of the two airlines.

BA, which operates out of Gatwick, Heathrow and various other UK airports, and the Spanish carrier will fall under their new parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), which has been created by the merger.

The deal, which is expected to be completed by January 21, will signal the end of BA shares being listed on the London Stock Market, with IAG taking its place.

However, both airlines will keep their individual identities, with IAG’s head office situated in London and the company’s annual meetings being held in Madrid.

The merged airline will have 408 aircraft carrying approximately 57 million passengers a year, while the two carriers have more than 57,000 staff and fly to more than 250 destinations.

The merger will allow BA better access to the South American market. At present, BA flies to only three South American destinations – Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in Brazil and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

Iberia also flies to these three cities, but also operates flights to eight other South American destinations. Similarly, Iberia will benefit from BA’s extensive North American operations, with the two carriers able to share information on fares, schedules and routes.

 Shortly before Iberia’s shareholders met in Madrid, BA chairman Martin Broughton told his company’s shareholders at a meeting in Westminster that the merger had a “compelling, strategic and financial logic” and would benefit staff, passengers and shareholders.

 Copyright Press Association 2010

Ash-cloud problems, poor exchange rates and strikes have not stopped holidaymakers from jetting off to dollar destinations, a report has revealed.

Places in the Caribbean and America have proved to be increasingly popular this year, with bookings to the Caribbean up 130% in May and June, holiday company Hayes & Jarvis found.

Antigua and Barbados saw the fastest increase in bookings during the period, the report showed.

A report shows that travellers are favouring dollar destinations, including Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles also featured in the top 10 destinations, with many flight to the US city’s available from UK airports including Stansted and Luton.

The Indonesian island of Bali rose to third place after civil troubles in Thailand forced travellers to swap their holiday destination.

However the Thai resorts of Koh Samui and Phuket have seen bookings continue to recover.

Kenya has also bounced back after political unrest in 2008, to claim the fourth place on the list.

Travellers can also reduce the cost and stress before their long-haul flights by getting to the airport using the Luton or Stansted bus services.

“Ironically, dollar destinations hit by a double whammy of sliding exchange rates and airline strikes have been the big winners in a topsy-turvy year for long-haul travel,” said Hayes & Jarvis commercial director Niel Alobaidi.

These are Hayes & Jarvis’s fastest-growing long-haul destinations this year:

1. Antigua

2. Barbados

3. Bali

4. Kenya

5. Cuba

6. Las Vegas

7. Egypt

8. Los Angeles

9. Chicago

10. San Francisco

Copyright © Press Association 2010.