More than 80 pct of passengers flown during strike-BA

British Airways said today it had been able to fly more than 80 percent of its passengers during a four-day strike by cabin crew, and urged the Unite union to let its members vote on its latest offer.

The industrial action, which ended on Tuesday, was an embarrassment for the ruling Labour Party, trailing in opinion polls ahead of an election expected on May 6, because it receives most of its funding from unions.

"We have flown well over 80 percent of the customers who were originally booked for travel in the strike period," chief executive Willie Walsh wrote in an open letter to customers printed in British newspapers.

"We were able to rebook most of the rest on to British Airways flights on other dates or on other carriers ... Unite has failed to ground British Airways."

Walsh said more than 60 percent of cabin crew had turned up to work during the strike, which followed a three-day stoppage earlier in March.

BA has estimated the second wave of industrial action cost the airline about 5.5 million pounds a day, but said its profit outlook remained broadly unchanged.

Some disruption to services continued on Wednesday, with more than 30 flights from London's Heathrow airport cancelled.

Unite, which represents about 90 percent of BA's 12,000 cabin crew, has threatened to call a third wave of industrial action after Easter if no progress is made in the dispute over changes to working practices.

Both sides have said they are willing to return to the negotiating table but no date for talks has been set.