British Airways said it planned to recruit over a thousand new cabin crew on lower wages than many existing staff to cut costs, as it faces the prospect of further strike action from existing crew in August.

BA will recruit 1,250 new crew members this year and forecast that in 10-years time, staff recruited on the new terms will form 40 per cent of the overall cabin crew.

The airline said it was making the move in light of the losses it has made over the past two years.

Existing cabin crew working on short-haul flights from Heathrow earn an annual salary of £25,700 while crew working on long-haul flights out of Heathrow earn an average £35,000.