LONDON — British Airways canceled all flights due to depart from London's Heathrow airport this afternoon, and diverted arriving flights, after an industrial dispute escalated.

The airline said flights arriving and departed Heathrow would remain grounded until at least 6 p.m. Friday.

Sixty-two short-haul and 44 long-haul outbound flights, due to depart from Heathrow were canceled. An additional 14 short-haul flights and an unknown number of long-haul flights which were en route to Heathrow were being diverted to other airports in Britain and other flights bound for London were being canceled before taking off. (Tonight's Seattle to London BA flight was among those cancelled. )

The cancellations were announced after British Airways' staff joined an industrial dispute between the airline's caterer Gate Gourmet and its work force.

A union representing Gate Gourmet, which provides onboard meals for British Airways flights, said the company had fired 800 workers on Wednesday. The company said 667 workers had been dismissed.

Information

British Airways: There are regular updates on the airline's Web site, www.britishairways.com

British Airways' workers represented by the same union, including baggage handlers and loaders, stopped work early today in sympathy with the fired catering staff. Passengers booked on flights with another five airlines that use British Airways' ground staff at Heathrow airport — Sri Lankan Airlines, Finnair, GB Airlines, British Mediterranean Airlines and Qantas — could also face delays or cancellations.

Another union representing British Airways check-in staff later advised its members to stop work for health and safety reasons after disgruntled passengers took out their frustrations on them.

British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington said that the cancellations were necessary because "of the crippling operational impact of unofficial industrial action by staff from the Transport and General Workers union."

"Because we have not had sufficient airport staff to operate flights into or out of Heathrow, nearly 100 of our aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew are in the wrong places around the world and we simply cannot mount a robust operation any earlier," Eddington said.

"It is a huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else's dispute," he said. "I have urged the Transport and General Workers Union and Gate Gourmet managers to resolve this dispute and end this misery for our customers."

Earlier today, British Airways planes took off from Heathrow without catering facilities. Passengers were given food parcels to take on board with them, or offered vouchers to buy food at the airport before boarding.

No other airlines were affected by the dispute at Gate Gourmet, which is owned by U.S. company Texas Pacific Group.

British Airways has about 550 flights a day in and out of its main hub, Heathrow, carrying around 100,000 passengers. A spokesman said an estimated 17,000 passengers had been affected by the cancellations.

The airline estimated 70,000 passengers would be affected by the cancellations.