Jim McMahon MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the news that British Airways is expecting to make a quarter of pilots redundant, said:

“This is devastating news for pilots at British Airways. The Government should have stepped in and done more to protect their jobs.

“The whole aviation industry is critical to the UK economy but staff should not be being laid off by those at the top who have reaped the rewards from their hard work.

“It was always clear aviation needed a sector specific deal to alleviate the immediate financial pressures that exist, yet the Government has failed to act leaving people without jobs.”