Industrial action at British Airways could spread further across the UK as unions consult with more workers on whether to strike over pay.
Around 700 mostly check-in staff at Heathrow Airport have already voted to go on strike over the summer holidays.
But unions GMB and Unite are also advising engineers and call center workers in Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester and Newcastle to take action.
BA said it was “fully committed to working together to find a solution”.
On Wednesday, hundreds of BA workers supported a strike over a 10% pay cut introduced during the pandemic.
The airline has offered staff a one-off payment of 10% of their pay, but GMB members at Heathrow want the full pay cut reversed.
BA said it made an “offer of a 10% payment which was accepted by the majority of other colleagues”. The BBC understands this includes ground operations, engineering and cabin crew staff, also represented by Unite and GMB.
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The broader consultative vote is separate from the Heathrow issue and broader pay concerns.
A GMB spokesman said: “Thousands of BA engineers at Heathrow, Gatwick and across Scotland, and call center workers in Newcastle and Manchester are in the midst of a consultative vote on possible subsequent industrial action over pay.”
GMB General Secretary Gary Smith told BBC Breakfast: “I don’t think this will stop with customer check-in staff. Many of our members in the BA business are sick to death of the cuts in the company.
“They’ve seen the company go bankrupt over many years, they’re very angry at the cynical exploitation of the pandemic by the people at the top of BA and the people want pay and conditions restored.”
The consultation is being conducted to assess voter turnout and what actions workers may wish to take. It is the stage before a formal vote on industrial action would take place.
Holidaymakers and other travelers risk having their journey disrupted if check-in workers’ unions at Heathrow and BA fail to reach an agreement.
Nearly 1.8 million BA customers will be flying out of Heathrow in July, as school holidays begin across the country, according to aeronautical data company Cirium.
Schools in England and Wales will close on July 22, while the summer holidays in Scotland and Northern Ireland will start on July 1.
Heathrow workers could not go on strike until July 7 at the earliest. Unions are required by law to give a company 14 days to prepare for action.
Unions have yet to set dates for the strike, but an announcement is expected early next week.
BA said: “We will of course be updating our customers on what this means for them as the situation evolves.”
The company, owned by International Airlines Group, has already grounded 10% of its flights between March and October.
Airlines and airports have struggled to cope with a resurgence in travel demand after the Covid lockdown as the industry shed thousands of jobs as international travel ground to a halt.
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