Unions cancelled a series of strikes last night that had threatened to bring travel misery to an estimated 1.3 million air travellers, after a late breakthrough in talks with BAA.

Officials from the Unite union, led by Brendan Gold, said that an agreement had been reached in principle to hold “proper consultations” over the future of the BAA pension scheme before any changes are made. The agreement will be discussed by union representatives on Thursday but next Monday’s strike has been called off in the meantime.

Essential staff from seven airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, had been due to begin a series of walkouts on January 7 in protest at the closure of the BAA final-salary pension scheme to new employees. A Unite spokesman said: “The union always said that there should be no unilateral changes in the pension policy without prior negotiation, and [BAA] have clearly conceded on that point.”

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports would have been closed by next week’s walkout. If the deal is not accepted by union representatives, however, further 48-hour walkouts on January 14 and January 18 remain possible. A BAA spokesman said: “Following a productive discussion, BAA and the trade unions have reached an agreement in principle.”

Talks ended without agreement last week but Unite and the Public and Commercial Services Union delayed any action until after the Christmas holiday period. Workers voted by two to one for strike action in a preChristmas ballot and were said to be determined to go on strike to secure the pension scheme for future as well as current employees.

BAA, which holds a monopoly in running Britain’s largest airports, was bought by the Spanish company Ferrovial in a debt-laden £10.1 billion purchase last year. Since then it has suffered an exodus among its senior management, including its head of operations and Heathrow chief executive. BAA also faces a Competition Commission inquiry into whether its monopoly should be broken up.

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