Airlines to meet BAA over T5 delays
[14th April 2008]
Airport operator BAA will have a crisis meeting this week with airlines affected by the decision to delay the transfer of British Airways’ long haul flights to Terminal 5.
BAA and BA jointly announced last week that the transfer of BA long haul flights from Heathrow Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 would be delayed from 30 April until June at the earliest because of concerns the new terminal would not be able to cope with the extra passengers at this stage.
"BAA regrets this postponement, and we recognize the impact it has on other airlines, but we believe it is a wise precaution to ensure that passengers can have the maximum confidence once the move does take place. We will be working very closely with BA in the intervening period to ensure that result, as well as working with the other airlines to mitigate as much as possible the knock-on effects," BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said last week.
However, the second largest airline at Heathrow, bmi, has hit out at BAA’s decision to delay the terminal moves. CEO of bmi, Nigel Turner, says: “It is an absolutely outrageous announcement by BAA and done with no thought, consideration or consultation of any airline other than BA. The sequence of moves affects over 50 airlines, including bmi, at Heathrow. The programme and timescale of changes was agreed in joint consultation with all airlines that are now geared up to undertake the moves as agreed”.
An angry Turner adds: “BA through their mismanagement of the move to Terminal 5 will materially disadvantage all other airlines at Heathrow whilst BAA, through their perverse regulatory system, will actually benefit financially. The UK is once again a laughing stock”.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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