Pilots Critical Of Terminal 5 Problems

The criticism of Terminal 5 at Heathrow has come from new quarters now with the British Airline PIlots Association (BALPA) calling for changes to be made in the way British Airways is managed after the problems at Terminal 5.

The general secretary of BALPA Jim McAuslan said, “We have quietly gone about our jobs since the Terminal 5 debacle, but pilots can no longer stay silent. It is their company’s reputation that is on the line and their futures. BA management has taken its eye off the ball and it is time UK plc held them to account."

BALPA has constructed an open letter to city institutions describing the failings of Terminal 5 and saying, “Failings on the opening days of T5 are symptomatic of BA’s loss of focus in delivering a sound operation. This airline can and should make Britain proud but a fundamental change of attitude is required from the very highest levels of BA management."

The letter continues to highlight several areas in which they have noticed shortcomings of BA and explaining that “The British Airline Pilots’ Association has for several years pressed BA to focus on operational integrity – punctuality, baggage delivery and product quality. Get that right and the customers will keep coming back in today’s highly competitive aviation market and we can look to growth and exporting the brand.”

Unfortunately the predictions by BALPA are that the repercussions of the Terminal 5 problems will be far-reaching with the BALPA letter saying, “The ramifications of what is going on in BA will be felt far more widely. Our reputation as a country has been harmed no end. Support for a 3rd runway has taken a direct hit."

 It will be interesting to see the response BA makes to the open letter as it will no doubt disagree with some of the comments made. However clearly some change is needed within BA to make Terminal 5 the efficient and effective terminal we were all promised. With a possible pilots strike still in the pipeline for BA and the luggage and systems problems to fix at Terminal 5, BA clearly has its work cut out in 2008.

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Published by: Jon Vickery