Virgin Atlantic says it’s willing to talk to its pilots, who are considering going on strike.

Union BALPA said 96% of its members supported a ballot on industrial action over ‘serious concerns’ about fatigue and their wellbeing.

Pilots are concerned about scheduling and rostering arrangements that were put in place during COVID that will come to an end in December.

Virgin said the existing ‘pay and lifestyle agreement’ was ‘agreed, developed and supported by BALPA pilot representatives within Virgin Atlantic, and our pilot community’.

It added: “We continue to honour all agreements and have offered to enter formal pay and lifestyle negotiations with BALPA’s pilot union representatives in the coming weeks, well in advance of the agreement expiring in December.”

A spokesperson for BALPA said: “Our members have registered a trade dispute with Virgin Atlantic arising out of serious concerns relating to pilot fatigue and wellbeing around scheduling and rostering arrangements, implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

It said that 81% of its Virgin Atlantic union members voted in the ballot.