AIRLINES

British Airways Strike Averted: A threatened strike that would have inconvenienced thousands of travelers was called off when union pilots and British Airways reached a new pay deal. The British Air Line Pilots Assn. had said it would strike beginning Tuesday if an agreement wasn’t reached. The Middlesex, England-based carrier had acknowledged that a strike would cause severe disruptions for the 90,000 passengers a day it carries on 1,000 flights. The pilots said they will receive a 3.6% pay increase--which is what the company had offered previously. But the union claimed victory in other issues involving pay and working conditions. Among those issues, the pilots said they persuaded British Airways to maintain bunk beds in its large jets so they can sleep when they are being transported to and from a job. British Airways had wanted to give them first-class seats.