Supplementary memorandum from British
Airways plc (TS 05a)
1. BACKGROUND
At the oral evidence session on 11 October 2006,
Captain Tim Steeds agreed to give a written response to Question
527 asked by David Wilshire MP. This question referred to the
frustrations felt by the British Airways Chief Executive, following
the events of 10 August 2006.
2. COMMENTS
Captain Steeds mentioned in his response to
Question 474 that the views of the British Airways Chief Executive
with regard to the events of 10 August were in the public domain.
The following article by Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British
Airways, was published in the Daily Mirror on 15 August
2006.
"For thousands trying to go on holiday,
the past few days have been a nightmare. Airports have looked
like refugee camps. Queues have been horrendous. Flights have
been cancelled. Bags have gone astray.
All airports have had their share of chaos but
by far the worst scenes have been at London Heathrow. Since last
Thursday, British Airways has been forced to cancel more than
700 flights into and out of Heathrow. My heart goes out to all
our customers who have suffered such terrible stress and I apologise
to each and every one of them. I am also angry on their behalf.
I do not blame the Government. The police and
anti-terrorist agencies have done a fantastic job. Passengers
understand extra security, but they also have a right to expect
those new rules to be implemented clearly and efficiently.
All businesses must have contingency plans. I
learned about the new security directive at 2.00 am on Thursday
and immediately consulted my colleagues to bring our crisis plan
into effect. We pulled in extra staff, deployed volunteers and
ensured aircraft, crew and ground staff were in the best position
to maximize the number of flights we could operate. I am proud
of the dedication our staff have shown.
However, it soon became clear that the British
Airports Authority (BAA), which controls Heathrow, had no adequate
plan for the emergency. BAA runs security at the airport. It provides
the staff who operate the scanners and carry out physical searches.
I want to praise those frontline BAA staff who have done an excellent
job in very difficult circumstances.
But BAA's leadership has not matched up. Extra
security demands more manpower. Since 9/11, everyone has known
there might be times when extra measures would be needed. Yet
when the moment struck, BAA had no plan to keep the airport functioning
properly. The result has been there for all to see. The queues
for security have wound all around the terminals like a bad dream
at Disneyland. Sometimes they have been so poorly managed they
have mixed themselves up with lines for check-in. I know of families
who have checked in, headed for security, joined what looked like
the queue, waited an age and ended up at another check-in desk.
They missed their flights.
In one part of Heathrow, BAA can process passengers
through seven security lanes. Yet at times only three have been
open. Passengers waited for up to two hours, missing their flights.
On Saturday, this awful experience was inflicted on 10,000 British
Airways customers through no fault of theirs, nor ours.
We were forced to depart without them because
our aircraft had to vacate parking stands. The ban on carry-on
luggage was bound to mean more bags would be checked in. BAA's
system could not cope. Several times it ground to a halt. This
meant bags sometimes could not reach the aircraft in time.
I take no pleasure in making these criticisms.
I pay tribute to BAA for the smooth way they implemented the extra
security at Gatwick The company knows I want to work with them
to ensure the kind of chaos we have seen at Heathrow is never
repeated and can never hand the terrorists a victory by default.
The travelling public deserve nothing less."
3. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
SINCE THE
ABOVE ARTICLE
WAS PUBLISHED
As the biggest customer of BAA at Heathrow Airports
British Airways is engaging constructively with BAA to resolve
the issues outlined above.
The aim of both companies is to work effectively
to provide a safe, secure and efficient service to all of our
customers.
There have been several occasions since 10 August
where the two Chief Executive Officers and their teams have met.
These meetings have been cordial and constructive and good progress
has been made in discussions on a range of issues affecting the
operation of the airport, including specific issues related to
security.
24 October 2006
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