Former British Airways Worker Locked in Legal Battle After Losing 30-Year Career

A former British Airways cabin crew member who lost her job during the pandemic is now locked in a legal battle over her dismissal, in a case that echoes wider anger over pandemic-era layoffs at the airline, the Guardian reports.

Tess De Mello spent 30 years working as cabin crew for British Airways before being laid off along with thousands of other staff during the Covid-19 pandemic, a wave of job losses that members of parliament at the time described as a 'national disgrace'.

De Mello told the Guardian that the role had been central to her sense of self. 'I took pride,' she said. 'I really took pride in myself, I took pride in my role, I took pride in everything because it was everything I wanted to be.'

She said the experience of losing the job left her feeling ashamed, despite her long record of service and the pride she took in going beyond what was expected to help passengers.

The case highlights the lasting impact of the mass layoffs carried out by airlines during the pandemic, when travel restrictions brought much of the industry to a standstill and prompted sweeping job cuts across the sector.