James Forsyth James Forsyth

So much for Terminal 5 being the answer to BA’s problems

The opening day of Terminal 5 has been a PR disaster for British Airways. 34 flights have been cancelled and passengers can now only board if they do not check in any bags.

In its defence BA is claiming that 

“We always knew the first day would represent a unique challenge because of the size and complexity of the move into Terminal 5.”
But if they knew that problems were so likely, why didn’t they start off with fewer flights? It really is incredible that on the first day they have had such dire problems. One would have thought that BA would have properly stress-tested everything before opening the terminal to the public.

BA’s failure has left the company a laughing stock. But this is more than just BA’s problem. For as the Queen said when she opened the building, Terminal 5 is a “21st Century gateway to Britain.” The chaos there today, sends out an awful message about Britain to the world. 

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