BA bids to cut €1bn pension deficit by extending retirement age

THE term Trolley Dolly took on a new meaning yesterday as British Airways proposed increasing the retirement age for cabin crew to 65.

British Airways, Europe’s third-largest airline, proposed that employees retire later and offered to make a £500 million (€723 million) payment into its pension plan to close the deficit in the fund.

The retirement age for pilots will rise to 60 from 55 and for cabin crew from 55 to 65. They hope this will help cut the fund’s £1 billion (€1.4 billion) deficit by £450m (€652m).