British Airways has dropped a proposed bonus scheme that would have linked part of pilots’ pay to reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions following consultation with flight crew.
The Pilot Carbon and Fuel Reduction Incentive would have offered BA pilots a bonus worth up to 1% of their basic salary if a collective target of 60,000 tonnes of CO2 savings against a 2025 baseline was achieved.
The scheme, which was due to come into effect in 2027, identified areas such as taxiing procedures and fuel loading where flight crew could contribute to reducing consumption.
When details of the original proposal emerged in March, the prospect of linking pilots’ remuneration with fuel use garnered significant attention.
The proposal was designed to reduce collective fuel use, not as an individual target. According to BALPA the scheme specifically stated that pilots were required to “prioritise the safe operation of the aircraft above commercial or environmental considerations”, with a recognition that commander’s authority is paramount.
However, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) confirmed to Airliner World that the incentive was removed from a revised pay proposal following consultation with its British Airways pilot members.
Its removal followed the rejection of the initial pay offer earlier this year, after which BALPA consulted members to establish which elements of the proposed package had their support.
“We used this feedback as the basis of subsequent negotiations with British Airways and secured significant improvements to the proposal,” said a spokesperson for BALPA. “Several elements were also removed, including the Pilot Carbon and Fuel Reduction Incentive. These improvements led to a revised proposal being approved by members in September this year.”
Asked why the fuel bonus had been dropped, the spokesperson said: “It was removed following consultation with members.”
British Airways was approached for comment.
