British Airways (BA), under IAG SA’s ownership, plans to combat potential disruptions during the upcoming peak summer season by boosting personnel at its Heathrow Airport base in London, increasing staff numbers by 5 percent. The spokesperson of the airline revealed that expectations are high for this summer to be noticeably busier than any period since the outbreak of the pandemic. To handle customer service and ground operations effectively, the airline will employ an additional 350 staff members.
Simultaneously, BA is investing in improving its in-house technology, including upgrading computer systems at the hub. The increase in staffing is a result of a broad-based strategy designed by the CEO, Sean Doyle. Doyle, while attending the IATA annual meeting in Dubai, proclaimed that the airline’s on-time service showed improvement during the first quarter.
The Covid-19 pandemic had forced BA to release numerous staff from their duties. These layoffs, combined with a sharp travel recovery in the years following, left BA somewhat short-staffed. They were further impacted by aging IT systems which faltered consistently during periods of high demand, leading to last-minute flight cancellations and stranded passengers.
The airline spokesperson clarified that while a new IT system is in the planning stages, it won’t be fully operational by the coming summer. Hence, the necessity for extra personnel to ensure operations continue uninterrupted.