Virgin Atlantic is to seek legal action in an effort to prevent extended strike action by a minority of pilots.
The airline has applied to the courts for an injunction to declare the strikes illegal.
A date for the hearing has been set for December 20 – two days before the first planned walkout by members of the Professional Pilots Union (PPU).
Virgin Atlantic issued its legal challenge after the union, which represents a minority of its pilots, announced that strikes planned for the peak Christmas and new year travel period would be extended into March.
A spokesperson for the carrier said: “We can confirm that we are challenging the threatened PPU strike action by seeking an injunction. We have taken this action reluctantly.
“Our priority has to be ensuring our customers can complete their travel plans this Christmas.
“We have been in regular talks with [arbitration service] ACAS since late November to try and find a resolution to this dispute, and we encourage the PPU to engage in discussion rather than disruption.
“We are finalising plans seeking to ensure all our customers can continue their journeys this Christmas regardless of the industrial action – this is our absolute priority.
“We encourage anyone due to travel with us this week to check details of their flight at virginatlantic.com and ensure their contact details are added to their booking.”
The airline added that the majority of its pilots have agreed to work either normally or will take extra work to protect any uncovered flights.
It claimed that just 16% of pilots have voted to strike.
“We hope the number who choose to take strike action will be lower,” the airline added.
“We have not been officially notified of any additional dates, and are focusing our efforts on ensuring our customers can travel this Christmas.”
However, the PPU, which claims to more than a third of the 965 Virgin Atlantic pilot workforce, revealed a series of new strike dates throughout January and February, extending until March 2 in the dispute over recognition.
Spokesman Steve Johnson, a former pilot with the airline, said that the dates for strikes may be used, changed or withdrawn at the PPU’s discretion subject to progress.
He added: “There is an alternative available to the company to disrupting business and holiday travel plans.
“Virgin Atlantic management could provide a tangible agreement to recognise this union – that’s all they need to do.
“They would rather go to court than do the right thing – it doesn’t make sense, especially when they claim publicly that they wish to ‘recognise us in principle’. Time to make principle more than just a ‘warm word’.
“But it leaves us with no choice but step up our strike action.”
Dates released for further strike action are: January 11-13, 17-20, 24-27, 31-February 3, February 8-10, 14-16, 21-24, 28-March 2.