28 April 2009

BA to give away 5,000 return flights to help SMEs fight recession

British Airways is offering 5,000 return flights worth up to Ã&#pound;15 million to help UK small and medium-sized enterprises win new business abroad.

The airline has teamed up with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and BritishAmerican Business (BAB) to help SMEs fight the recession.

It is also calling on other big businesses to throw their weight behind small British companies through a consortium to provide products, services or expertise that UKTI can offer as an additional package of help for SMEs, on top of the services already provided.

Chief executive Willie Walsh said: Ã¢â¬ÅâœSMEs are the backbone of the British economy and they are hurting badly, with 120 of them closing every week.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWeÃ¢â¬â¢d love to see other British businesses pulling together in order to help the UK out of the recession.

Ã¢â¬ÅâœWeÃ¢â¬â¢ve put up the flights to allow the SMEs to travel to do business and weÃ¢â¬â¢d be delighted if other companies would join us by offering services and skills that will bring real value and benefit.Ã¢â¬~

The initiative is designed to support UK SMEs relatively new to exporting or looking to expand into new markets with UKTIÃ¢â¬â¢s help.

Independent research about UKTIÃ¢â¬â¢s customers found that more than half were experiencing increasing demand from abroad.

BA said it will also announce further plans to benefit British business and travellers throughout the next six months as part of its campaign to get Britain moving again.

British businesses wishing to join BA and offer help to SMEs, should email business.development@ba.com.

By Bev Fearis