A three-day strike by British Airways cabin crew is likely to cause several thousand flights to be cancelled.

Over half of BA's nearly two thousand daily flights are likely to be scrapped in the coming three days.

The strike is being staged by 12,000 cabin crew to demand higher pay and assurances there will be no forced sackings.

A four-day strike has been called for next Saturday.

British Airways has asked other airlines to help replace the cancelled flights.

Earlier this week Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the unions to call off the stoppage, saying it could threaten the airline's existence.