Eddington goes on the attack over security costs
BA boss says air travellers are being treated as fat cats by politicians
The British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington has criticised governments for treating air travellers as “fat cats” who end up paying for “inconsistent and often unnecessary security arrangements”.
At the annual IATA conference in Washington, United States, Eddington complained that extra security measures have cost the carrier some £100 million – costs he says would be paid by the public if they were for extra security for road, rail or sea passengers.
The Guardian quotes Eddington thus: “Politicians regard air travel as something for fat cats but they see people who travel by road or rail as everyday people. There’s a view that somehow people travelling by air are closeted and cloistered – while in reality, air travel is part of the essential fabric of the country and its economy.”
At the conference, Eddington was named as the airline industry’s leading executive, for demonstrating “outstanding strategic thinking and leadership over the past year”. Judges praised Eddington for giving the carrier a renewed sense of direction, tackling the threat from aggressive no-frills competitors, and turning around the group’s “flagging finances”.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt