Chief executive Willie Walsh, who had already promised to work for nothing in July, said on Thursday the actions of the 6,940 BA staff, equivalent to 17 percent of its workforce, would save the airline up to 10 million pounds ($16 million).

"This response clearly shows the significant difference individuals can make," he said, adding staff will be able to volunteer for the programme later in the year too.

The airline, which employs around 40,000 people, had last month asked workers to volunteer for up to four weeks' unpaid leave or work shorter hours after it posted a record annual operating loss of 220 million pounds.

Other companies including British BT Group and Spanish bank BBVA have also asked staff to work for other companies or take unpaid leave as they try to avoid redundancies.