Cabin Crew Suing British Airways for Unfair Dismissal and Discrimination
- Ella Lawrence
- Apr 4
- 2 min read
Photo by Sebastian Grochowicz
4 April 2025
49 Claimants brought claims against British Airways following the decision to make over 4000 cabin crew redundant during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. By the time we reached the six-week common issues hearing on 24 February 2025 only 2 claimants remained. TMP claimants. The Tribunal heard witness evidence from two of the TMP claimants as well as four from British Airways. Employment Judge Anstis delivered his long-anticipated (oral) judgment on 4 April 2025.
The judge ruled that the claimants were unsuccessful and dismissed all claims. The claimants are deeply disappointed at the outcome and are waiting for the written reasons and will consider their options.
15 August 2024
President Eady dismisses British Airways appeal confirming that the Employment Tribunal made no error of law in concluding that it had jurisdiction to consider indirect discrimination claims under section 19 of Equality Act 2010, where there is PCP applied by an employer that puts people with a particular characteristic at a disadvantage, where the claimant in such a case must also suffer that disadvantage, but where the claimant need not have the same protected characteristic as the disadvantaged group.
Read the Judgment here.
24 May 2024
A two-day hearing has been scheduled for 23 and 24 July 2024 before the President of the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The Secretary of State for Business has intervened. This is the first case testing whether indirect associative discrimination claims are covered by the Equality Act.
12 July 2023
British Airways appealed the Employment Appeal Tribunal's decision not to strike out the claim for indirect associative discrimination, and the Employment Appeal Tribunal granted permission to appeal.
14 December 2022
British Airways attempted to strike out parts of the claim, but the Employment Tribunal refused to strike out the claim for indirect associative discrimination brought by multiple claimants.
October 2022
TMP represents four claimants in a claim brought by 51 claimants alleging that they were unfairly dismissed and discriminated against in 2020 when British Airways made mass redundancies due to COVID-19 grounding their fleet. The Employment Tribunal is due to hear the claim over 25 days starting in February 2025.
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