Pilots in Britain and Spain holdlink-up talks

The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) said the talks with the national pilots association in Spain, Selpa, would strengthen their working relationship against a background of growing trans-national operations in the industry.

British Airways launched a business link-up with US carrier American Airlines and Spanish airline Iberia last week.

The three airlines announced four new routes to start from next April.

Balpa chairman Captain Mark Searle said: “The two unions believe that whilst there is free movement of capital, employment laws are in the main domestically constrained, leading to airlines playing employees off against each other. We will do all we can to prevent this.”