Flexible scheme

A company spokesman said it did not have an exact target for the expected savings from its appeal.

"As much as possible, but we don't have a figure," he said.

The idea was first launched last month when the airline asked staff to volunteer for a month's unpaid leave, or to work for free for that time.

That attracted more than 1,000 applicants.

But the company's more recent version of its scheme, launched last week by e-mail and in an article in the internal staff newspaper BA News, is more flexible.

It asks staff to volunteer by the end of this month for between one week and one month of unpaid leave or unpaid work.

The lost salary will be spread over between three and six monthsA