British Airways on announced on Thursday that 800 staff members have agreed to work up to one month for no pay in order to save company costs.

Another 4,000 employees are taking unpaid leave, while 1,400 people have volunteered to work part-time, BBC reported.

The airlines request to cut costs was proposed to 40,000 staff members and the move is expected to save the company £10million ($16 million).

BA chief, Willie Walsh, will also sacrifice his monthly salary of £61,000 ($99,300) and work unpaid.

BA, Europe's third-biggest airline by revenue, posted annual operating losses of 220 million pounds ($362 million) and scrapped its dividend in May, saying it had suffered from a downturn in air travel and forecast no immediate revival.

According to unions, the airlines request of working for nothing is “unrealistic”.