Speaking at a full house Aviation Club of the United Kingdom lunch at the Institute of Directors on Wednesday (19 September), British Airways (BA) CEO Willie Walsh had this to say regarding the airline”s new aircraft purchase:
”It will be manufactured by Airbus or Boeing, or both!”
He spoke about the environment too, pointing out that BA was the first airline to set public targets for fuel efficiency, almost a decade ago.
”When we do announce our long haul order, you will see that environmental performance has been a key criterion in our deliberations.”
What he did make clear was that the order would be announced ”before we are much older.”
In a fine 20min review of BA and its thinking, Walsh highlighted the recent resolution of the airline”s ”2.1bn ($4.2bn) pension fund deficit and that it had been resolved without any moves whatever towards industrial action.
Walsh used the term ”Heathrow hassle” to describe some of the problems at the airport. Diplomatically he did not lay the blame at the feet of the current operators, Ferrovial.
”The truth is Heathrow has been increasingly overcrowded since the 1990s ” and now packs through at least 20m passengers a year above existing capacity.”
Terminal 5 has now been officially handed over to BA by BAA. Over the next six months, the airline ” and all those involved in a most complex of operations ” will be going through more than 70 different and equally proving trials to ensure a smooth opening next March. The public are being invited to take part in these tests.
Using much the same tone as Sir Rod Eddington in his address to the club two years back, Walsh emphasized the economic benefits of aviation and the fact that in terms of route network Heathrow was dropping behind its major European competitors and could soon be in the wake of some relatively minor airports such as Madrid, Milan and Rome.
Heathrow as a whole currently generates around ”12bn a year for the national economy and supports half a million jobs according to Walsh.
”Heathrow is the airport that reaches parts of the economy that other airports don”t reach.”
Walsh gave short shift to proponents of surface transport pointing out that from a journey point of view, for the most part, air travel is quicker and more environmentally friendly and emphasized that most passengers do not actually live near a city centre.
Only an Irishman could get away with the statement that while Heathrow attracted some 1,000 to the Camp for Climate Change, at Shannon, with Aer Lingus flights to Heathrow about to be axed, over 5,000 protested that the current schedule be maintained.
Security was not mentioned. After all Walsh had a whole series of topics in a limited time. In theory it is not part of the airline”s business, although in practical terms its efficiency can make or break an airline.
Asked by Air & Business Travel News at the end of his speech for an update on the current and unique two-bag rule Walsh was forthcoming. He confirmed that discussions were going on with government:
”I don”t accept that it is a security issue. It is damaging our reputation and we have proof that passengers are deliberately bypassing Heathrow.” He was optimistic that the problem would be resolved quickly, ”perhaps in stages.”