Travelmole Q&A: Willie Walsh, BA chief executive, on the launch of OpenSkies

Q) How did you come up with the name OpenSkies?

A) Well, to be honest, we had decided that unless somebody could come up with something really spectacular, we would stick with the BA name. But then somebody came up with OpenSkies, and I thought, yes, this is perfect.

Q) How much relevance does the name OpenSkies have in the European market?

A) This is primarily a US point of sale product, and the name has a strong relevance in that market. The name celebrates the first phase of a landmark agreement towards a liberalised aviation market which means we can fly between any US and EU destination.

Q) Which other European cities do you intend to fly to?

A) We are looking at all of the major business cities and capitals – Amsterdam, Milan, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Zurich, although as that isn’t in the EU, it might be more complicated.

Q) And in the US?

A) We are looking at Boston and Washington. We have already had a lot of corporates in those cities telling us they would like the product.

Q) Are you using the old style or new style flatbed on OpenSkies?

A) We are using the old-style, which we call ‘Dusk’. That is because we are using Boeing 757s on these routes and we would need to get new certification to use the new ‘Stretch’ seat on this aircraft type, which would take too long. But, although the UK market is used to flatbeds, flatbeds do not exist in these markets, so corporates in the US are very excited about it.

Q) Did you consider putting an all-business class product on these routes?

A) When you look at the demand for an all-business class product, London is by far the biggest market. Paris is second, but then the other European markets are a fraction of the size. So, no, we did not consider putting an all-business class product on these European routes.

Q) So, does that mean you are still considering operating an all-business class product from the UK?

A) We haven’t ruled it out, but definitely not from Heathrow. I struggle to see how it would work from Heathrow as the slots are so restricted. A premium product needs premium slots and it doesn’t make financial sense for us to replace our existing flights with an all-business class product. We would, however, look at opportunities at Gatwick or other UK airports.

Q) So, you have decided on a three-class service for OpenSkies?

A) Yes. We originally planned a two-class product, but the demand for World Traveller Plus is so strong, that we decided to go for a three-class. However, we have flexibility to switch to a two-class product if the demand is not there.

By Bev Fearis