MH152 I hope you're right, I really do. I have a horrible suspicion, however, that IAG/BA will get rid of the BMI a/c or alternatively get rid off the 737's and swap them for BMI's newer Airbus. I'm thinking this way because how else can Willie Walsh free up slots for Asian destinations such as Inceon and Jakarta etc if they are saddled with BMI's loss making route network, not to mention that BA already fly to a vast number of them.
IAG is buying BMI, not BA.
The BMI slots HAVE to be flown by someone - so regardless what happens with BMI, then BA's plans for new pilots has not changed with the BMI news.
Even if BMI is integrated into BA ann the BMI pilots are integrated (which I think is unlikely - and certainly not in the short term as the unions will argue over the seniority issues until long after this recruitment drive is over!) Then the extra capacity created by the extra slots still needs aircraft and pilots to fly.
Whichever way you do the maths then the previously estimated recruitment requirements that BA had remain unchanged.