In May 2000, I offered some well-intentioned advice to the new BA boss. “How to turn around an Ayling airline”, read the headline in
Conde Nast Traveller
. The article I wrote 25 years ago this month comprised recommendations to
British Airways
for life after its chief executive, Bob Ayling, departed.
Did BA follow my advice?
Ditch Concorde
“Flying a very old, noisy and thirsty plane only half-full of passengers is bad business,” I wrote. “Environmental concerns over pollution and noise could force
Concorde
off the Heathrow-New York route anyway.”
Tragically, two months later, an
Air France
supersonic jet crashed shortly after taking off from Paris CDG and the
British Airways
The Concorde fleet remained grounded during the investigation period. By November 2001, British Airways restarted their supersonic services.
These concluded less than 24 months afterward.
.
Hive off Gatwick
I suggested a “fresh, streamlined, budget-friendly airline” named BA
Gatwick
For short-haul services, that is correct.
British Airways Euroflyer
BA’s long-haul routes from Gatwick also accommodate more passengers compared to those from Heathrow.
“Lower the rates for the new airline to 80 percent of the equivalent Heathrow prices, mirroring the reduced expenses and attractiveness of Gatwick,” I suggested. This is mostly evident in ticket pricing for locations serviced by BA at both Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
Stay calm regarding Sir Richard Branson.
During Virgin Atlantic’s heyday under Sir Richard Branson, notable stunts garnered significant media attention. One such example involved floating a zeppelin with “BA can’t get it up” written on it near the British Airways London Eye—a Ferris wheel that was lying horizontally because of construction issues.
I proposed that BA would fare better by collaborating with its competitor. Following this, the
Office of Fair Trading
it was alleged that the two carriers had been overly accommodating – to such an extent that
fixing prices
. Four ex- and current British Airways officials were brought to court. The case fell apart due to insufficient evidence.
Dispose of your company’s main office building
The Waterside building, which served as BA’s futuristic base, remains large and costly. However, it currently accommodates IAG—the parent firm behind British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Spanish carrier Iberia. Nonetheless, plans for Heathrow’s third runway could lead to its demolition regardless.
Admit defeat against the Channel Tunnel
At the time, BA was flying 26 times a day between
London Heathrow
In addition to Paris, there were once 10 daily flights between Gatwick and the French capital. Now, only a dozen flights remain, all heading to or departing from Heathrow. However, my poorly conceived proposal for Eurostar to operate direct trains from Belgium and France to Heathrow understandably did not come to fruition.
Set reasonable prices for transatlantic business class tickets
I argued that they were unsustainable. For instance, in May 2000, a London-Los Angeles World Club fare cost roughly twenty times as much as an economy ticket.
This month, the most affordable business class round-trip ticket (£11,764) costs 29 times more than a seat in economy class (£402). Not too shabby, I suppose.
I also forecasted that “the limiting Bermuda II agreement, keeping Heathrow off-limits to most U.S. carriers,” would cease to exist by January 2001. However, it took until 2008 before an open-skies pact was put in place instead, and as things stand now, British Airways continues to impose higher charges for their upscale seating options.
So much so that I failed to notice…
BA becomes “London Airways”
In the year 2000, British Airways possessed an extensive (yet cumbersome) domestic network within the UK, primarily centered around Birmingham and Manchester. To attempt making this more profitable, they relaunched the service under a new brand called BA Connect in 2006; however, just one year after that, control of these operations was transferred elsewhere.
Flybe
, which itself collapsed in both 2020 and 2023.
Sale of Go
Within six months, the new chief executive, Rod Eddington, had announced the sale of Go. BA’s young no-frills airline had been launched to compete with easyJet, which later swallowed it up.
Cabin crew strike
For almost two years,
British Airways and its cabin crew were involved in a intense and bitter labor conflict.
In 2009, British Airways concluded that their crew expenses had become unsustainable. Naturally, the Unite union aimed to maintain the favorable compensation packages and perks they had secured through negotiations. Following numerous strikes and legal disputes in court, an agreement was eventually made which introduced a new “mixed fleet” system employing staff under less advantageous conditions. Due to the pandemic since then, all employees have effectively transitioned into this mixed-fleet setup.
Africa and Australasia cutbacks
The growth of Gulf airlines, notably Emirates, severely impacted BA’s services in Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Routes to various capital cities in Africa were discontinued. At their peak, they served Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Auckland, and Christchurch using 747 jumbo jets; however, British Airways has now reduced this to just one daily 777 flight to Sydney.
In 2025, Qatar Airways, holding one-fifth of BA, stands as the airline’s biggest stakeholder.
London City expansion
When London City Airport opened in London’s Docklands in 1987, it was considered by British Airways to be merely a side attraction. However, entering the 21st century, the development of Canary Wharf transformed it into a significant component of their strategy—briefly even having a ”
son of Concorde”
Business-class exclusive service to New York (through Shannon in Ireland).
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