The senior directors of British Airways announced yesterday they will cut their own salary by 15 per cent for the next six months as the airline struggles to cope with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in America.

The airline also announced that in a further response to the slump in demand for air travel, it will be cutting services on 27 routes, including the ending of the daily service between London and Belfast.

The company said it had lost £48 miillion in revenue during the last two weeks.

In the US, 90,000 airline staff have lost their jobs since the terrorist attacks.