BA facing "fight for survival" - CEO

LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - British Airways Plc (BAY.L) is facing a "fight for survival," its chief executive said. "It's critical that we all recognise that the diagnosis for our airline is now critical," Willie Walsh wrote in the airline's staff newspaper.

He said the crisis facing the aviation industry "has never been more serious."

"There has been a significant shift in consumer attitude, with people wanting more and paying less. And things are getting worse. We haven't yet reached the bottom and everything points towards a protracted downturn," he said.

Walsh said some areas of the business had made progress on pay and productivity negotiations but elsewhere change "has been slow." He has set a deadline of June 30 to complete talks with unions.

Last month BA slumped to a record loss, cancelled its dividend and said tough market conditions made it impossible to give any guidance for the current period. [ID:nLM183816]

Shares in BA, which have lost 28 percent of their value over the last year, closed Monday at 155.5 pence, valuing the business at 1.79 billion pounds.

(Reporting by James Davey)