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BA chief Willie Walsh brands Heathrow's Terminal 5 a 'national embarrassment'
Last updated at 00:37am on 09.05.08
Willie Walsh, Chief executive of British Airways, admits the airline 'made mistakes' with Terminal 5
And he said the airport had been "a national embarrassment for years".
The damning assessments came as Mr Walsh and bosses at airport operator BAA were grilled by MPs about the T5 fiasco which led to hundreds of flights being cancelled and tens of thousands of bags going missing.
Mr Walsh admitted: "We let our customers down. We could have done better and should have done better."
He added: "I take responsibility for the issues that went wrong." But he insisted he would not resign.
The MPs heard that the owners of around 125 bags were still waiting to be reunited with their luggage, while 17 T5 lifts were still not working.
The £4.3billion terminal was opened by the Queen on March 14. But its first day of operations on March 27 was catastrophic.
It was several days before British Airways was able to run a full service there and the airline postponed the planned April 30 transfer of longhaul flights to the new terminal.
Mr Walsh, BA's chief executive, told MPs on the Commons Transport Committee: "People have spoken of T5 as a national embarrassment. If we were to be honest, Heathrow has been a national embarrassment for many years."
He added: "We believed that T5 was ready to open and we believed we had prepared sufficiently. With the benefit of hindsight, it was clear we made some mistakes."
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Fiasco: Bored passengers waiting in lines as Terminal 5 opened in late March
Mr Walsh said BA had "compromised on the testing" because of delays in building the terminal.
On the first day a combination of teething troubles and baggage problems proved insurmountable.
The airline chief said: "We didn't supply staff with sufficient training and familiarisation. If we did it again, we would do things differently."
Last month BA said operations director Gareth Kirkwood and customer services director David Noyes would be leaving and linked their to the T5 debacle.
Mr Walsh declined to comment yesterday, saying the two men were "not here to defend themselves".
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Unresolved: The chaos at Heathrow's terminal 5 continues, with around 125 passengers still waiting to receive their luggage, and 17 lifts still not working
But he insisted: "The decisions taken ultimately rest with me. I am prepared to be held responsible. My position is a matter for the board."
MPs expressed incredulity that bosses at BAA seemed unaware of the misgivings of some people ahead of the T5 opening.
BAA chief executive Colin Matthews. who also apologised "unreservedly", insisted he had not been aware of any likely problems.
He said the company had not yet investigated "who knew what or when" and added: "We have not sought to blame others. Some problems were undoubtedly our fault and some were not."
Reader views (10)
Willy, You are the man in charge of a fast declining airline, do the decent thing and resign.
- Brian, london
He is deflecting the attention from the fact that BA employs poorly mannered people, many times not British because to cut costs. The service at British airways has become poor, when you check in, on board, and afterwards. Whatever their suppliers or airports they frequent.
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
I mean he is true about BAA but what can he do about the BA service? Not much I think. Mr Walsh is not respected and he has cut too many corners, he tries and cut costs to a Easyjet and still charge full-price! I must say no, thanks! No more BA for me.
- Patrick W, London, SW3
Mr. Walsh is embarrassing the passengers, surely it is the boss who should take responsibility for the unfriendliness and incompetence of his staff?!
- Patrick W, London, SW3
I am appalled by the lack of leadership at BA. I mean if they trusted BAA as a supplier so much surely they should have had insurance. On the more important matter of service levels I agree with the others. BA has become bad.
- Silvia, London
BA is the embarrassment! I have just gotten of a BA plane from New York - I do not care of my bags because I kept them with me but the staff: sulking and only talking amongst themselves. No service whatsoever! What is going on with that airline?
- Rock, London
Well one must ask themselves how could BA "work" so long with BAA and not know everything did not work?! It does seem BA has lost the plot - I agree with Gerogie the service levels at "British" Airways have tanked! Especially on-board staff and check-in staff are in-efficient and mostly rude.
- Steveo, London, NW1,
We always seem to blame British Airways for everything.
If 17 lifts are still not working in T5 in early May... can you give us the name of the Company responsible?
It's no good blaming BA when British Airport Authority are responsible for appointing that particular company, and for not checking that their work was satisfactory during the years that the project was taking place.
- Paul Epps, Twickenham England
I am a - now former - frequent traveller with your British Airways, and I must say this Willy: your airline is a national embarrassment! This has gotten worse over the last year. Willy should not try and blame others.
- Gerogie, Islington, London
The 2013 Olympics will probably be a bigger embarrassment!
- Michael, London
