British Airways

[Aviador]

BA may cut Heathrow flights once London City – New York flights launch

British Airways could cut capacity on its New York routes from Heathrow once its business-class-only service from London City Airport starts in September, TTG reports. The airline's chief executive, Willie Walsh, said the London City venture had been reviewed in the light of declining numbers of premium-class travellers, but the airline had decided to press on with the service.

However, he said BA's total London - New York capacity would be reviewed when the flights launch, which could lead to some services from Heathrow being cut for the winter 2009-10 season. He said: ‘This capacity from London City to New York may be replacement capacity. That decision has yet to be taken.'

Source

 

[Aviador]

BA increase Heathrow – Shanghai flights

British Airways is adding an additional weekly flight to Shanghai from next month. Frequency on the Heathrow route rises from five to six flights a week from December 4 due to increased customer demand over the past year.

A BA spokesman aid: ‘We need to meet the needs of our customers, and make travel as comfortable and convenient as possible for them. For that reason we are adding the new flight to Shanghai.’

Source

 

[Aviador]

BA cut Australia flights

British Airways will reduce flights between Heathrow and Australia in the next four months, in the latest sign that the recovery in demand for international travel has been slower than expected. The airline will drop its daily flight from Sydney to London via Singapore in March, leaving just one daily 747 service, via Bangkok. It will do the same for 18 days in May and will cut services slightly in April and June.

BA's regional commercial manager for the south-west Pacific, Nicole Backo, said the cancellations reflected weak demand, but added: 'We are starting to see bookings improve.' BA and Qantas have faced mounting competition on the kangaroo route from Middle Eastern airlines such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Source

 

[lbaspotter]

Hi All

The following list show which airlines, Aircraft and operators are due to position there aircarft into London Heathrow this evening and early tomorrow morning to take up BA Charter work due to this weekends planned Cabin Crew Strike.

Friday 18th Mar
CS-TFT B767 BA9203P pta 18.20 (from Faro)
G-STRP A320 BA9202P pta 20.05 (from Southend)
G-STRW B757 BA9209P pta 20.10 (from Kefvalvik)
CS-TLO B763 BA9213P pta 20.15 (from Faro)
PH-AHX B763 BA9204P pta 20.25 (from Amsterdam)
CS-TLX B757 BA9217P pta 20.30 (from Faro)
SE-RHT B733 BA9207P pta 21.00 (from London Gatwick)
PH-HZB B738 BA9205P pta 21.05 (from Amsterdam)
G-LSAA B757 BA9200P pta 21.05 (from Manchester)
G-CELK B733 BA9212P pta 21.05 (from Belfast Int'l)
G-LSAE B757 BA9201P pta 21.15 (from Newcastle)
G-CGET B733 BA9214P pta 21.25 (from Leeds/Bradford)
PH-HZM B738 BA9206P pta 22.00 (from Amsterdam)
G-CELV B733 BA9218P pta 22.00 (from Manchester)
PH-HZD B738 BA9211P pta 22.05 (from Amsterdam)
G-POWD B763 BA9216P pta 22.05 (from London Stansted)
G-ZAPX B757 BA9208P pta 22.15 (from London Stansted)

Saturday 19th Mar
G-CELY B733 BA9210P pta 05.55 (from Newcastle)
G-OJIB B757 AEU752P pta 07.00 (from Toronto)
G-BPEJ B757 BA9219P pta 13.45 (from Paris Orly)

 

[News Guru]

BA Heathrow flight emergency

A British Airways Boeing 747 jumbo jet with 296 people on board had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Heathrow Airport yesterday. The plane, flying to New York, was over London at 09:20 when it was noticed a handle on a cabin door was moving. Wimbledon residents reported a low-flying aircraft as the jet turned and headed back to Heathrow.

The flight, BA117, landed safely at the west London airport. In total it was airborne for just 11 minutes. A BA spokeswoman said a full investigation was taking place. She added: ‘Passengers disembarked normally after the aircraft returned to Heathrow shortly after take-off. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the stand. It returned to the airport as a precaution because the handle on one of the cabin doors was moving. At no time was the door open.’

Hannah Evershed was on board. She told the BBC: ‘It wasn't fun. I fly a lot for work and I knew we were flying too low. The pilot alerted the cabin crew over the loudspeaker to answer his calls. It all happened quite quickly.’ Passengers were put on another flight departing at 15:00.

Source

 

[News Guru]

BA add Heathrow – Dubai flight

British Airways is putting capacity back into its Heathrow - Dubai service, which was cut during the downturn, because of a return in premium demand. From the end of this month, the airline will add a Boeing 767, operating three flights a day on the route.

The extra capacity, which will be added for the winter schedule, comes after first and business-class passenger demand ‘pile-drived’ downwards in March last year to premium cabin occupancy levels of just 30 percent, Andrew Crawley, the director of sales and marketing at BA said.

This forced the airline to halve its daily services from four to two as part of a global capacity reduction campaign that included temporarily parking four of its 747 jumbo jets in the Californian desert last year. Two have since been recalled and are set to reenter service early next year.

The third flight will be extended into the summer if demand continues at current levels.

Source

 

[News Guru]

BA increase Heathrow – Tampa flights

British Airways has announced that it will increase the number of services between Heathrow and Tampa from March 2011. The airline will fly to the Florida Gulf Coast destination daily from next spring. Prices and schedules were not released with the statement.

Flights to Tampa are popular with those heading for the Gulf Coast, but also by those intending to travel on to Orlando, which is only just over an hour from the airport by car. They are also ideal for those seeking a two centre holiday.

Source

 

[News Guru]

BA to boost Heathrow – Cape Town flights this winter

British Airways will launch ‘double-daily’ services between Heathrow and Cape Town from the end of October. The move means BA will operate 14 flights a week - up from 13 - and carry around 700 more passengers a week between the two cities, bringing the total number to around 4700 seats a week.

BA is also putting larger aircraft on the Cape Town route over the winter, resulting in a 17.5% increase in the number of seats.

Source

 

[News Guru]

BA to increase Heathrow – Moscow capacity

British Airways is to increase its capacity between Heathrow and Moscow next year. The airline will use bigger planes on the service, also shifting from a two class to a four class operation.

BA currently operates three return flights to Moscow’s Domodedevo airport each day. From April 2012 the route will be operated using Boeing 747 and 767 planes offering customers up to four classes of travel. The upgrade to the type of aircraft means that for the first time customers flying the four hours between the British and Russian capitals will be able to take advantage of a four class seat configuration, and BA will increase the number of seats available on the route.

BA chairman Sir Martin Broughton said: ‘We are proud to have been flying to Russia for over 50 years. It is an important and growing market and we want to reflect our commitment to the region and our passengers by enhancing our services and increasing the number of seats that are available to Moscow.’

Source

 

[News Guru]

BA Spanish flights to move to T5; Euro routes to move to T3

British Airways’ 13 daily flights to Barcelona and Madrid will be moving from Heathrow’s Terminal 3 to Terminal 5 at the start of the winter season on October 30. At the same time five European routes - Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Bucharest and Larnaca - will move from Terminal 5 to Terminal 3.

The airline has a dedicated check-in area at Terminal 3 as well as a luxurious 550-seat lounge complex and spa facility for premium customers to use before their flights. The airline said its BA Galleries Club and Galleries First lounges offer the same luxury and comfort as the lounge complex in Terminal 5.

Source

 

[News Guru]

Walsh threatens Gatwick switch in Heathrow fees row

Proposals to increase landing charges at Heathrow by 6% above the rate of inflation have been condemned by International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh.

He warned that subsidiary British Airways would have little flexibility but to move flights to Gatwick if the increases were agreed at Heathrow.

Full Story: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/ ... s+row.html

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Does anyone think that BA really would switch some services from LHR to LGW?

 

[Aviador]

Good question. Gatwick airport has had lots of money spent on it over the last couple of years bringing it up a league and the Gatwick airport authority will be keen to offer a good deal to British Airways. On the other hand, in previous rhetoric by Walsh regarding a new airport for London he was quoted to have said he doesn't want to move away from Heathrow saying it is the only credible place for a new runway. At the end of the day, money talks though and if British Airways feel they're getting a raw deal at Heathrow, I am sure London Gatwick would welcome them with open arms.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's usually said that serious airlines and important passengers (commercially important from airlines' perspective that is) regard only Heathrow as London, especially long haul.

LHR seems to enjoy a certain cachet, rightly or wrongly.

Perhaps some short haul could be devolved to LGW - it used to see far more of the national flag carrier than it does currently - but a substantial slice of the long haul network? That seems unlikely.

 

[News Guru]

Heathrow emergency landing: Engine doors 'left unlatched'

The doors on both engines of the flight that made an emergency landing at Heathrow last week had been left unlatched, investigators have found.

Air accident experts said the coverings - the fan cowl doors - broke off and punctured the right engine's fuel pipe, damaging the aircraft's systems.

A fire then broke out in the right engine of the Airbus A319 British Airways flight to Oslo.

The jet landed safely and its 75 passengers and crew were evacuated.

The aeroplane returned to Heathrow soon after taking off last Friday when black smoke was seen coming from an engine.

Full Story: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22732582

The findings were made in an interim report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), which is examining the cause of the emergency.

 

[Skyflyer1]

Hello

Does anybody have any idea what time the BA A380 is due to arrive on the 4th July?

 

[flexo]

Well, I reckon you should find the answer to your question here:

http://www.heathrownews.com/

 

[Huytonpaul]

Hi,

I'm flying to vegas from heathrow in December, wondering if anyone can confirm which aircraft BA use for this route?

Thanks.

 

[User0001]

It will be B747-400 in a new 3 class configuration (First class seats sold as Business class seats).

 

[Huytonpaul]

It will be B747-400 in a new 3 class configuration (First class seats sold as Business class seats).

Thanks. I thought as much. The travel agent was certain they use 777-300 but I was sure they stopped using them for that route in about 2011.

Great news, my first time on a 747. Delighted. Thanks.