CAA urged to put pressure on BAA over ‘Heathrow Hassle’
British Airways has urged the Civil Aviation Authority to stop BAA delaying the introduction of improved customer service quality targets at Heathrow by up to two years.
The airline is providing evidence to the CAA at hearings on the current BAA airport charges review, which start today.
BA general manager airport policy and infrastructure, Paul Ellis, said: “It appears that BAA is paying lip service to customers’ needs and will only take real steps to improve service quality when forced to do so by the regulators.
“For passengers to continue to experience the Heathrow Hassle for another two years because BAA hasn’t got its act together is unacceptable.
“Many of the areas identified as needing better targets affect flight punctuality. Delays at security control posts mean that, on occasions, catering is late being loaded on the aircraft and even our flight and cabin crew don’t get to the aircraft on time.
“Airlines have been highlighting punctuality problems to BAA for more than two years so it’s had ample time to plan for improved performance levels and invest in the infrastructure necessary to deliver them.
“We believe that the technology exists now to develop measurement systems and airlines have already made proposals to BAA on ways to reduce delays.
“The CAA’s role is to create an environment where a monopoly supplier is forced to act in a competitive way. A competitive company wouldn’t be able to rely on previous failures to invest as an excuse for not being made accountable for service quality improvements.”
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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