British Airways counts cost of strike

LONDON (AP) - British Airways says the recent strikes by its cabin crew cost it between 40 million and 45 million pounds ($61-68 million) in March.

BA's monthly update Wednesday shows that passenger traffic fell 11.4 percent in March compared to the same month last year.

The cabin crew walked out for a total of seven days in March, causing the cancelation of hundreds of flights. The airline also hired planes and crew - and bought seats on rival carriers - to accommodate its passengers.

The fall in March traffic breaks down into a 7.8 percent decrease in premium traffic and a 12.2 percent decrease in non-premium traffic.

Excluding the strike impact, BA says premium traffic showed a modest year-on-year improvement in premium traffic while non-premium traffic was stable.