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T5 opening ‘not our finest hour’ – BA chief
The boss of British Airways has admitted that the problematic opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 was not the airline’s “finest hourâ€.
BA passengers faced delays and flight cancellations over the weekend from the £4.3 billion new terminal following the chaotic opening last Thursday.
CEO Willie Walsh said on Friday: “Yesterday was definitely not British Airways’ finest hour. We disappointed many people and I apologise sincerely. I take responsibility for what happened. The buck stops with me.â€
He went on to say he was not blaming Heathrow owner BAA for the troubles and admitted there would continue to be some disruption tomorrow as well.
“I am not pointing the finger at BAA. Both British Airways and BAA made mistakes, but I am taking responsibility for the mistakes we made. We have to correct those and make this fantastic terminal work,†said Walsh.
“Our performance was not good enough. We did not deliver for our customers and we should have.
“We have made a better start today, and we are working hard to make sure the flight schedule operates as we have planned.
“I would expect some disruption tomorrow, but I think it will get better every day as we become accustomed to the building and the quirks of the systems.
“British Airways will be in this terminal for 40 years. It is not going to be judged on the basis of the first few days – and it is up to us to ensure that it becomes the resounding success the travelling public deserves.â€
His comments follow problems in the car parks, airport areas, computer glitches and the baggage system at the new terminal.
“In isolation, they would not have had the impact they did, but in combination they led to a level of disruption we never took control of during the day,†added Walsh.
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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