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Eleventh-hour talks over planned cabin crew strikes on British Airways flights this week are set to resume.

The last-ditch talks between BA chief executive Willie Walsh and the Transport and General Workers' Union (T&G) centre on industrial action over sick pay planned for tomorrow and Wednesday January 31st.

All flights from Heathrow airport will be grounded by the strike if it goes ahead, while BA will be unable to operate domestic or European flights out of Gatwick.

In all 1,300 flights have been cancelled and up to 140,000 passengers could be affected.

The T&G says that 96 per cent of its cabin crew members, which in turn make up two-thirds of BA's in-flight workers, are in favour of strike action.

But with the threat of two further three-day walkouts next month looming, BA insists that in the past cabin crew have taken up to 22 sick days every year.

A statement from BA, forwarded onto affected customers by email, said: "The airline remains committed to pursuit of a negotiated settlement before [tomorrow] but wants customers to have early warning of its flying schedule to allow sufficient time for alternative travel arrangements to be made."

Mr Walsh had previously apologised to travellers, saying: "We are deeply sorry that our customers are the innocent victims of this unnecessary and unjustified strike by the T&G."

Despite several days of reconciliatory talks failing to reach an agreement, the union's deputy general secretary, Jack Dromey, has said that the "door remains open" to reach a negotiated settlement.