Sophie RobinsonBritish Airways / Unite and GMB Pay Agreement 2025–2027: A Complete Guide for Workers (2026)
What Is the British Airways / Unite and GMB Pay Agreement?
The British Airways / Unite and GMB Pay Agreement 2025–2027 is a landmark three-year collective bargaining agreement negotiated between British Airways plc (a subsidiary of International Airlines Group) and its two principal recognised trade unions — Unite the Union and the GMB. Announced in February 2025, the deal covers approximately 24,000 workers across cabin crew, ground handling, engineering, and other operational roles based at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
The agreement was reached under the statutory recognition framework established by the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA 1992), which gives Unite and GMB the legal right to negotiate pay, hours, and working conditions on behalf of their members at British Airways. BASSA — the British Airlines Stewards and Stewardesses Association, the cabin crew branch of Unite — played a central role in representing the largest group of workers in the negotiations.
The total value of the deal exceeds £290 million in consolidated pay increases over the three years, with an additional profit-sharing potential of up to £318 million linked to British Airways' earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT). The deal runs from 1 December 2024 to 31 December 2027 and is one of the most significant private-sector pay settlements in UK aviation in recent years.
Pay and Pay Award 2026
The agreement delivers increases in three annual instalments, each comprising a guaranteed consolidated element, a non-consolidated reward payment, and a profit-sharing component tied to BA's financial performance.
Year One — effective 1 December 2024 (backdated)
- A 4.5% consolidated pay increase applied to all in-scope basic salaries
- A £1,000 non-consolidated reward payment, distributed in February 2025
- An EBIT-linked bonus of up to 4% of basic salary, payable once British Airways meets its defined earnings threshold
Year Two — effective 1 January 2026
- A 3% consolidated pay increase
- A profit-sharing reward of at least £1,000 if the EBIT trigger is met
- Inflation protection: if CPI exceeds 3%, Unite has the right to seek a supplementary consolidated increase to match the rate of inflation
Year Three — effective 1 January 2027
- A further 3% consolidated pay increase
- The same EBIT-linked reward and inflation protection provisions as Year Two
All consolidated increases are applied to basic pay permanently, which means they flow through to overtime calculations, pensionable pay, and — importantly — the weekly pay figure used in any future redundancy calculations.
A notable feature of this agreement is that the EBIT profit-sharing scheme has been extended to all staff for the first time. Previously, profit-related payments at British Airways were limited to managers and pilots. This deal opens the scheme to cabin crew, ground staff, and engineers across the bargaining unit.
As of 2026, the National Living Wage (NLW) stands at £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over. All roles covered by this agreement are paid substantially above that statutory floor.
Working Hours and Leave Entitlement
Working Hours
British Airways operates on varied working patterns across its workforce. Cabin crew work rostered duties based on flight schedules, while ground staff and engineers typically operate shift patterns. The Working Time Regulations 1998 (WTR 1998) apply to all in-scope workers and provide the following statutory protections:
- An average working week of no more than 48 hours (measured over a 17-week reference period, with an opt-out available in writing)
- A minimum daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours
- A minimum weekly rest period of 24 hours per seven-day period (or 48 hours per 14-day period)
- A 20-minute break where the working day exceeds six hours
Annual Leave
Under WTR 1998, all workers are entitled to a statutory minimum of 28 days' paid annual leave per year, inclusive of bank holidays. British Airways' contractual leave entitlements for cabin crew and ground staff typically exceed this floor, with leave increasing in line with service length:
| Years of Service | Approximate Leave Entitlement |
|---|---|
| 0–2 years | ~28–30 days (inclusive of bank holidays) |
| 3–5 years | ~30–33 days |
| 6+ years | ~33–35 days |
Figures are approximate; precise entitlements are set out in BA's Employment Guide and Our Colleague Guide.
The 2025–2027 agreement includes a commitment to reduce the disparities between the Employment Guide (which covers some cabin crew groups) and Our Colleague Guide (which covers others), with the aim of harmonising conditions across the bargaining unit over the life of the deal.
The UK has 8 statutory public holidays per year. Whether these are included within or in addition to your contractual leave entitlement depends on your individual contract of employment.
Redundancy Pay
If British Airways were to make compulsory redundancies, in-scope workers are protected by both statutory entitlements and the collective agreement framework.
Statutory Minimum — ERA 1996
Under the Employment Rights Act 1996 (ERA 1996), all employees with at least two years' continuous service are entitled to a statutory redundancy payment calculated as follows:
- ½ week's pay for each complete year of service under age 22
- 1 week's pay for each complete year of service aged 22–40
- 1½ weeks' pay for each complete year of service aged 41 or over
As of 2026, the weekly pay cap for statutory redundancy purposes is £700. The maximum statutory redundancy payment is therefore £21,000 (30 qualifying years × 1.5 × £700).
Enhanced Redundancy at British Airways
British Airways has historically offered enhanced redundancy terms above the statutory minimum for many employee categories, including higher weekly pay multipliers and/or the removal of the statutory cap on a week's pay. The collective agreement provides the framework for collective redundancy consultation under TULRCA 1992 s.188, which requires BA to consult Unite and GMB where it proposes to make 20 or more redundancies within a 90-day period. Consultation must begin in good time and cover ways of avoiding redundancies, reducing numbers, and mitigating the effects.
Where BA offers enhanced redundancy terms, these will be set out in any redundancy agreement negotiated with your union. Contact your Unite or GMB representative to understand your specific entitlement.
Interactive Calculator Use our British Airways / Unite and GMB Pay Agreement 2025–2027 Pay & Rights Calculator to estimate your pay uplift, redundancy entitlement, annual leave balance, and pension contributions under this agreement.
Notice Period
Statutory Minimum — ERA 1996 s.86
Under ERA 1996, employees are entitled to a statutory minimum notice period of one week per complete year of continuous employment, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. Your employer must give you at least one week's notice after one month's employment.
Contractual Notice at British Airways
BA's contractual notice periods are typically longer than the statutory minimum, particularly for longer-serving employees and specialist roles. Your individual contract of employment — or the relevant section of the Employment Guide or Our Colleague Guide — will specify your contractual notice entitlement. Where your contractual notice period exceeds the ERA 1996 statutory minimum, your contractual right prevails. Equally, you are required to give notice to BA in line with your contract; check your contract for the applicable period.
Pension Rights
British Airways operates a tiered pension provision depending on when you joined the company.
Airways Pension Scheme (APS): A legacy final-salary defined-benefit scheme, closed to new entrants. Members who joined before the scheme's closure date and have retained membership continue to accrue significant defined benefits, with retirement income based on final pensionable pay and years of service.
New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS): A career-average revalued earnings (CARE) defined-benefit scheme, also closed to new joiners. Existing NAPS members continue to accrue benefits based on pensionable pay each year, revalued in line with a set index.
BA Defined Contribution (DC) Scheme: Open to workers who joined after the legacy schemes closed. Employee and employer contributions are set by agreement between BA and the unions; check your scheme documentation for your specific contribution rates.
Auto-enrolment baseline: Where workers are not members of the APS, NAPS, or DC scheme, the Pensions Act 2008 requires BA to auto-enrol eligible workers into a qualifying pension. Minimum contributions as of 2026 are 5% from the employee and 3% from the employer on qualifying earnings between £6,240 and £50,270 per year.
The 2025–2027 pay agreement does not alter the existing pension scheme structures. However, the consolidated pay increases do raise the pensionable pay base for members of salary-linked schemes, which may improve future benefit accrual — a benefit of receiving consolidated rather than one-off payments.
Your Rights Under the Agreement
Workers covered by the BA/Unite/GMB agreement benefit from several protections and entitlements that go beyond the statutory floor:
- Guaranteed consolidated pay increases: Three years of pensionable, permanent increases (4.5%, 3%, 3%) — not one-off bonuses — which compound over time and build into your redundancy and pension calculations.
- First-ever universal profit-sharing: EBIT-linked reward payments extended to all bargaining unit members, placing cabin crew, ground staff, and engineers on the same footing as managers and pilots.
- Inflation protection in Years 2 and 3: A formal mechanism under which Unite may seek supplementary pay increases if CPI exceeds 3%, protecting your real wages against unexpected cost-of-living rises.
- Collective redundancy rights: Under TULRCA 1992 s.188, if BA proposes 20 or more redundancies within 90 days, it must consult your recognised union in a meaningful way. You have the right to be represented in that process.
- Right to union representation: Under ERA 1999 s.10 (the right to be accompanied), you may bring a trade union representative or a fellow worker to any disciplinary or grievance hearing at British Airways.
- Policy harmonisation commitment: The agreement includes specific commitments to close the gap between different sets of employment terms, reducing the two-tier conditions that have historically created inequality across the workforce.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 4.5% increase take effect — do I get back pay?
The 4.5% consolidated increase was backdated to 1 December 2024. If you were employed and in scope at that date, you should have received the increase in your pay along with any arrears, and the £1,000 reward payment in February 2025. If you believe you have not received these, contact your Unite or GMB representative immediately.
I work at Gatwick, not Heathrow. Am I covered?
Yes. The agreement covers workers at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports, across cabin crew, ground staff, and engineering roles represented by Unite or GMB. Your location within the BA operation does not affect your entitlement under this deal.
What happens if British Airways misses its EBIT target?
The EBIT profit-sharing reward is conditional on BA meeting its earnings threshold. If the threshold is not met in a given year, no EBIT bonus is payable. However, the consolidated pay increase (3% in Years 2 and 3) is guaranteed regardless of BA's financial performance — it is not linked to EBIT in any way.
How does the inflation protection clause work in practice?
If UK CPI exceeds 3% during Year 2 (2026) or Year 3 (2027), Unite has the contractual right to enter formal negotiations with BA to seek a supplementary consolidated increase to match inflation. This is a negotiating right, not an automatic uplift — BA must engage in good faith, but any additional increase requires agreement. It provides a meaningful safety net if inflation rises unexpectedly.
I was not a union member when the deal was signed. Does it still apply to me?
Under TULRCA 1992, the collectively agreed pay rates apply across the bargaining unit, typically regardless of individual union membership. In practice, BA applies the agreed pay increases to all in-scope employees. If you are uncertain whether you fall within the bargaining unit, contact your HR department or your relevant union (Unite or GMB).
How do I work out my redundancy pay?
Under ERA 1996, multiply your weekly pay (capped at £700 as of 2026) by the relevant age multiplier and your years of qualifying service. BA may offer enhanced terms above this. Use our interactive calculator to run a quick estimate based on your individual circumstances.
Related Tool
Interactive Calculator Use our British Airways / Unite and GMB Pay Agreement 2025–2027 Pay & Rights Calculator to estimate your personal pay uplift, redundancy entitlement, annual leave balance, and pension contributions under this three-year agreement.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. For advice specific to your situation, consult your union representative or a qualified employment solicitor.
