BAA 'slashing jobs to maximise short-term profits'

BAA is planning to get rid of staff after a summer in which many passengers using its airports have faced hours of queueing because of badly-organised and poorly-staffed security checks.

One claim put the job losses figure at 2,000 although this was denied by BAA.

A spokesman said no decision had been taken on the number of positions to go.

He said any cuts would involve office staff and no frontline security or customer service staff would be affected.

Any money saved would be reinvested in "customer-facing" roles at its seven UK airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

"It's going to make things better on the front line because people are going to see more security staff and more customer service staff," he said.

"BAA has been undertaking an efficiency review for several months of which staff are well aware. No conclusions have yet been reached.

"BAA is committed to ensuring excellent security and customer service at every one of its airports."

However, Brendan Gold, national secretary of the main aviation union Unite, said: "Air passengers are well aware that many of the problems they have endured at British airports this summer are the result of a shortage of trained staff.

"Our members, including those in security, have worked phenomenally hard and BAA has had to recruit additional staff to cope with demand.

"It would turn logic on its head if the company were to seek to resolve its difficulties through slashing jobs in a bid to maximise short-term profits.

"We would, of course, strongly resist any compulsory redundancies."

Airlines such as British Airways and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic have become increasingly concerned about BAA's ability to invest in its airports - particularly its Heathrow hub - since it was bought by Spanish construction group Ferrovial in June last year for £10.3billion.

Ferrovial took on a huge amount of debt to fund the deal, and the airlines believe this might hamper its ability to spend on crucial facilities, such as extra staff.

BAA, formerly the British Airports Authority, is also facing two regulatory inquiries into its monopoly over British airports that have the potential to force the company to sell off one or more of its airports.

Gatwick and Glasgow airport are tipped to be the two that BAA would sell if forced to by the competition authorities.

The group has always insisted it is not interested in selling, but the proceeds generated from asset sales could help to reduce its £6billion debt.

BAA has moved to beef up its management team in the face of criticism of the way its runs its airports, appointing Stephen Baxter as its first chief operating officer. He is currently head of the company's Scottish airports.

Mr Baxter is joined on the top team by Terry Morgan who becomes airport services director and will be in charge of health, safety, and security.

Mr Morgan is currently divisional director for BAA's airports in the South-East.