WILLIE WALSH HAS BRUSHED off any threat of Easyjet luring business travellers away from British Airways.
BA's CEO suggested the no-frills carrier should focus more on its timekeeping than on rivalling full-service carriers by launching new products for corporates.
Easyjet has announced plans to start offering a new flexible fare, aimed at the business traveller.
Walsh called Easyjet's operational performance "appalling", citing punctuality figures of 48 per cent at Gatwick airport during June, worse than Air Zimbabwe.
Walsh said Easyjet's new CEO, Carolyn McCall, has "a huge challenge that will be very difficult to overcome".
Easyjet had admitted it was aware of the problem, especially at Gatwick, and pledged to improve its schedules and sub-charter crew and aircraft.
Nigel Turner, director of programme management at travel management company Carlson Wagonlit, said he thought corporate travellers would still be tempted by the budget carrier's trade-friendly model.
"I think there are a lot of people who already travel on Easyjet for business, who have perhaps got used to the basis of having restricted tickets," he said.
"But I think this will attract some new customers who were perhaps reticent to go on such fares before."