Willie Walsh, British Airway's chief executive says that his priority is keeping flights in the air. He has made contingency plans so that two-thirds of passengers on British Airways will be able to fly during the strike. A cabin-crew strike is planned for Saturday after talks between BA and Unite broke down. A spokesman for Unite said that Walsh was looking for a "war" with Unite. Walsh contends that he is not trying to undercut the union or break the strike. Walsh gained a reputation as a tough negotiator at Aer Lingus, where he cut personnel and flights to save costs, as well as by going against the pilot's union, Balpa, two years ago.
See "BA's Walsh Seen as Formidable Negotiator", William Lyons, The Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2010