Comment: the shaming of London: part two

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Today we publish reports of extraordinary scenes at Heathrow's Terminal 5, where some unfortunate passengers have been obliged to spend the night on the floor because of disruption caused by snow. Flights were cancelled because of the weather and reported shortages of de-icing equipment, passengers on incoming flights were unable to disembark because of frozen gantries, lifts were out of order and passengers were not told just what was going on - a failure which has characterised the chaos from the start. More flights are cancelled today.

In the circumstances, the BA pilots who have written to financial institutions and government ministers complaining of the failures of BA management, chose a good time to make their case. And while the pilots' union, Balpa, does not say that sacking the chief executive, Willie Walsh, is the answer, it says that the problems at T5 are symptomatic of wider concerns. As the union general secretary, Jim McAuslan, said: "It is about style, about arrogance, about not taking your workforce with you." Plainly, Mr Walsh needs to listen to his own employees - as well as to passengers. The reputation of BA will not survive if the debacle at T5 continues.