‘Heathrow totally unprepared’: MP report slams BAA
Monday, 12 May, 2011
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A report published today by MPs investigating the snow chaos at Heathrow last December has roundly condemned operator BAA.
The Commons Transport Committee report has made a series of recommendations to prevent the debacle that grounded dozens of planes last winter and says the government should pledge money to minimise future weather-related disruption to air travel.
These include involving the government more in ensuring minimal disruption when the weather is inclement.
Chair of the committee Louise Ellman MP said: “It is clear Heathrow was totally unprepared to recover from any major incident and that its owners underinvested in winter equipment.
“Every airport operator must be pushed to plan properly for bad weather so people are not left stranded and without even basic supplies in airport terminals.”
The report, the result of hearings from passengers and airlines involved last December, has been rejected by BAA.
A spokesman said: “We reject the committee’s impression that Heathrow was ‘totally unprepared’. This is contrary to the findings of the Begg Enquiry which found BAA had ‘demonstrated its ability to respond well to earlier weather events’ and also contrary to evidence from the airspace closure caused by volcanic ash in 2010.”
Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic has weighed in on the debate. Its chief executive Steve Ridgeway said: “We are not surprised at the criticism leveled at BAA in this report. This was a disasterous situation with the world’s busiest international airport shut for a prolonged period at a crucial time of year, and this must not be allowed to happen again.
“BAA must do everything in its power to ensure Heathrow remains open and operational to the highest standards possible. Any extra investment needed to secure that should be met by the airport operator, not passengers.
“It is disappointing that this report has not made more recommendations on protecting the customer and driving a culture to provide high levels of service to all passengers going through London Heathrow.
“There ought to be an obligation on airports to share responsibility for passenger well-being when things go wrong, and the Government must seize the opportunity in next year’s Airport Economic Regulation Bill to introduce proper lines of redress if they fail to do so.
“Last winter, we as an industry let our passengers down. That shouldn’t be allowed to happen in the future – customers must be at the heart of every business in aviation, and Virgin Atlantic is committed to working closely with the BAA and other stakeholders to ensure this takes place.”
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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