Former British Airways Crew Member Appeals Pandemic Dismissal Ruling

Former cabin crew member Tess De Mello is appealing an employment tribunal ruling after being dismissed during pandemic-era workforce reductions in 2020. De Mello, who served the airline for 30 years, and a former colleague are pursuing claims of unfair dismissal and underpayment of holiday entitlement.

The legal challenge centers on shift patterns that the claimants' legal team argues classified them as part-year workers. They contend this status entitles them to full-time holiday pay regardless of their part-time status. British Airways maintains that its actions during the pandemic were fair and non-discriminatory, asserting that the claims are without merit.

An initial ruling by Judge Laurie Anstis in Reading dismissed the claims, finding that the airline's steps to avoid business collapse and mass job losses were non-discriminatory. The Unite union suggests that a successful appeal could trigger widespread similar claims across the aviation industry due to the prevalence of standard industry shift patterns.