Global Airport News

British Airways is in the UK Court of Appeal this week over a claim that it dismisses its female cabin crew in Hong Kong at 45 and without a pension.

The UK national carrier originally lost the case, brought by the Unite union, at the Employment Appeals Tribunal back in January.

BA confirmed its case would be heard on Thursday or Friday this week.

A BA spokesperson added in a statement: “We were given permission to appeal earlier this year by the Court of Appeal. All the claimants are former British Airways cabin crew who lived and worked in Hong Kong and were employed under Hong Kong law.

“We have always maintained that the retirement age applied to our Hong Kong based cabin crew is justified.”

The union, which also represents UK cabin crew in their long running dispute with the airline, says the carrier must apply UK law to its Hong Kong-based female crew.

In Britain, BA retains women cabin crew until they are 60 and gives them a pension on retirement.

Unite says BA’s alleged policy affects 24 Hong Kong staff.

It called the airline’s attitude a “shameful attempt to continue to discriminate against its employees on both age and race grounds.”

Brendan Gold, Unite’s national officer for civil aviation, said: "BA’s mistreatment of these women is a stain on the reputation of a leading and iconic British company which has allowed such discriminatory practices to continue into the 21st century.

"We will be asking the Court of Appeal to uphold the tribunal's wishes that these workers are covered by UK employment law and as such must not be discriminated against on any grounds, including their race or age.”