Air Transport

British Airways has asked for leave to appeal a second time – this time to a higher court – against an employment tribunal decision confirming the tribunal’s original decision that junior pilot Jessica Starmer should be allowed 50% part-time working to enable her to look after her baby. Starmer, backed by the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), filed in December 2004 for a tribunal hearing asking for her 75% part-time working to be reduced to 50% when her child was born. The tribunal ruled in her favour in April, but BA was given leave to appeal. BA says the judgement “still fails to explain why the safety and resource arguments put to the tribunal were rejected”.