British Airways Pilot Wins Case

First officer Jessica Starmer won her court case against British Airways, claiming the carrier's "family-unfriendly policies" were behind the decision to not allow her to continue working part-time. Ms Starmer said she wanted to ensure that her 1 year old daughter was cared for properly, which was difficult for her and her husband (a fellow BA pilot) to accomplish otherwise.

British Airways countered that there was no sex discrimination as charged in the lawsuit. They contend that Ms Starmer had not completed the required three years of full time flying (or 2000 hours experience) when she requested the part-time schedule. The airline said that standard was applied equally to men and women, and was necessary for safety issues.