Strike action by bmibaby pilots has been narrowly avoided after a tight vote by union members.

The walk out is expected to fall over the August bank holiday weekend.

Bmibaby said it has been advised by the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA ) that 90 of bmibaby's 189 pilot workforce had voted in favour of strike action.

As this represents 47% of the total bmibaby pilot workforce, less than 50%, BALPA has decided not to proceed with strike action.

The walk-out was due to fall over the August bank holiday weekend.

Bmibaby said BALPA has requested a meeting with the airline to attempt to find a way through the dispute.

"We are reflecting on that proposal," said a statement. "Bmibaby's offer of negotiations for a multi-year pay deal for 2007 onwards remains on the table and we remain hopeful that any industrial action can be avoided."

It advised customers not to make any changes to their travel plans and stressed that it has contingency plans in place to deal with any operational disruption.