United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
BA to shake-up struggling regional business
British Airways is preparing to overhaul its loss-making regional business, CitiExpress, after chief executive Willie Walsh admitted its performance “was not good enough.”
Job losses, a reduction in its network and fleet and the possible closure of more UK regional bases could form part of the restructure, according to the Financial Times.
“CitiExpress is a financial challenge to us,” Walsh is quoted as saying. “We intend to restructure it early in the new year. Its performance is not good enough. All parts of the business must contribute to us reaching the target of a 10% operating profit margin.”
BA is already closing routes from Manchester to Cork, Nice, Pisa, Rome, Stuttgart and Venice in March next year and is withdrawing routes to Zurich and Shannon in mid-September.
Services between Birmingham and Rome and Vienna are also being suspended while the airline has closed some operations in Belfast, Plymouth, Cardiff and Leeds-Bradford airport.
The shake-up follows the continuing fierce competition from low cost carriers.
Meanwhile, Walsh confirmed that BA will increase capacity in its profit-making business class cabins at the expense of economy seats. The carrier will spend £100 million upgrading Club World.
Report by Steve Jones
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Foreign Office issues travel advisory for winter sun destinations