It has been reported that union leaders are planning to increase strike pay for British Airways cabin crew from £30 to £45 a day. The union took the decision as the cabin crew began a fresh five-day strike yesterday, the third and last in their current series of walkouts.

The move could cost BA well over £150m.

BA has also planned to operate additional flights as more crew than expected had turned up for work at Heathrow airport.

In addition to the larger flights schedule previously announced at Heathrow for this period of strike action, BA will operate additional flights to Los Angeles, Washington, Mexico City and Phoenix.

It has also been informed that the union is threatening to ballot its members again if the deadlocked row is not resolved, which could disrupt flights throughout the busy summer months.

A BA spokesman said: "Our global operations went very well last week and we have got off to another good start today at the beginning of this strike period”.

BA is aiming to operate around 80% of long-haul flights from Heathrow over the next five days, up from 70% and 60% in the past two strike periods, and 60% of short-haul flights, up from 55% and 50%.