British Airways pilots vote to strike

LONDON, England (CNN) -- British Airways passengers face the prospect of major disruptions after the airline's pilots voted for strike action that could effectively ground the airline worldwide.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) overwhelmingly voted to strike in a dispute over British Airways' plans for its new transatlantic subsidiary carrier, OpenSkies, BALPA said in a statement.

The union said it supported the launch of the service but opposed BA's intention to recruit lower paid pilots, driven by pressure to keep prices down on competitive routes between Europe and North America.

"We have seen it happening around the world," said BALPA General Secretary Jim McAuslan. "BA pilots are determined not to let the same thing happen to them and to their families."

"BA pilots are saying loud and clear that they will not tolerate what has happened elsewhere."

BALPA represents more than 3,000 of BA's pilots, with 86 percent of those balloted voting in favor of striking.

If pilots go ahead with the threat, it would be the first such action for nearly 30 years, BALPA said.

In a statement, BA said no dates had been set for the potential action and said the union must give seven days notice before any stoppage can take place.

"We understand that any threat of industrial action is extremely unsettling for our customers," BA said. "We will do everything we can do to minimize the disruption to our customers."

OpenSkies, expected to launch in June, is BA's first attempt at taking advantage of last year's landmark "open skies" agreement between the U.S. and European Union.

The pact liberalized the transatlantic travel market by allowing any airline -- European or American -- to fly any route between any city in Europe and any city in America.

Transportation officials say it could ultimately provide more choice and cheaper tickets to passengers flying over the Atlantic. E-mail to a friend