British Airways said today it would delay moving around 120 flights to the airline's new problem-plagued Terminal 5 at Heathrow in an effort to make sure it can handle the extra passengers and baggage involved.
The airline initially planned to switch almost all of its long-haul flights from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 on April 30th. This has now been put back until at least June 5, BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh told reporters in a conference call.
By then passenger volumes are expected to be lighter at Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport, following the May school breaks and a public holiday on May 26th.
The delay marks the latest move as BA works to get Terminal 5 running properly following the unmitigated public relations disaster last month when hundreds of flights were cancelled and tens of thousands of bags went missing after disruption amid baggage handling problems.
In a joint statement with airport operator BAA, the airline said that since Tuesday it has been running a normal flight schedule from Terminal 5.
The two companies said they were working to iron out remaining problems, including the baggage system and develop a robust timescale to move flights to the new terminal.
"BAA regrets this postponement, and we recognise the impact it has on other airlines, but we believe it is a wise precaution to ensure that passengers can have the maximum confidence once the move does take place," said BAA Chief Executive Colin Matthews. BAA is owned by Spain's Ferrovial.
The delay affects about 60 daily departures and 60 arrivals. Earlier this month, BA said the T5 disruption had so far cost it around £16 million sterling.