Leaders of Virgin Atlantic pilots will meet today to decide their next move following a massive 97% vote in favour of a strike in a row over pay, which has raised the threat of summer walkouts.

A FORMER Ryanair pilot said he was “delighted” as he accepted a payout of £40,000 (€46,269) from the airline after he was sacked for handing out a union recruitment leaflet.

Talks aimed at averting industrial action by pilots at Virgin Atlantic in a row over days off were adjourned after a “good exchange of views”.

Pilots' leaders urged the new British government today to intervene in the British Airways cabin crew dispute, warning that a wave of strikes from next week threatened jobs.

British Airways will be back in court today facing a legal challenge by pilots over holiday pay.

British Airways pilots have overwhelmingly accepted a 2.6% pay cuts as part of a package of measures to save the airline £26m (€30m), it was announced today.

RYANAIR has contacted its pilots to say they will be allocated one calendar week unpaid leave this winter due to the grounding of aircraft.

Talks aimed at averting a strike by British Airways pilots in a row over the airline’s proposed new subsidiary broke down night.

British Airways pilots are to be balloted on strike action in a row over the airline's plans to launch a subsidiary business, it was announced today.

The British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) is urging the Co Clare-based airline Eirjet not to sack the two pilots who mistakenly landed a passenger plane at a military base in the North yesterday.

A legal battle has broken at Ryanair over a website set up, according to unions, to help “hard-pressed” pilots exchange information about conditions at the airline, it was learned today.

Pilots at British Airways have voted to accept a three-year pay deal worth 8.6%, it was announced today.

Ryanair pilots are planning to to establish the first ever pan-European trade union.

NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair dismissed claims of a rift with pilots after it was reported they had boycotted a briefing by the company’s chief executive.

BRITISH AIRWAYS cancelled another London-Washington flight yesterday as fears of a September 11-style attack grounded a US-bound plane for the seventh time in just over a week.

Final preparations were today being made for the deployment of armed sky marshals on some British passenger planes in response to the heightened state of alert in the US.

CLAIMS that Ryanair pilots are forced to work beyond their 900-hour yearly limit have been rejected by the low-fares airline and the Irish Aviation Authority.

LOW fares airline Ryanair Holdings yesterday denied its pilots work beyond approved limits on flying hours, as their union said it was concerned safety standards were being compromised.