London - British Airways (BA) Friday announced amendments to
flight schedules and a delay in the delivery of its fleet of new
Airbus A380 superjumbos as a result of falling passenger figures.
The airline named the current 'challenging economic conditions' as
a reason for the move. 'Market conditions continue to be very
challenging with trading at levels well below last year,' a statement
said.
The announcement came as BA revealed that it carried 2.93 million
passengers last month - 4.9 per cent fewer than in June 2008. As a
consequence, estimates for capacity up to March, 2010, had been
revised downwards.
BA said it had put back by an average of five months the delivery
of its first six A380 superjumbos - although the first is still due
to arrive within the originally-planned year of 2012.
The schedule for the delivery of the remaining six A380s it had
ordered was being put back by an average of two years, with the last
aircraft scheduled to arrive in 2016.
BA's June 2009 passenger figures showed that Asia Pacific traffic
fell by 16.8 per cent, although Africa and Middle East passenger
numbers were up 0.9 per cent.
It said BA planes flew at 79.6 per cent passenger capacity last
month compared with 81.4 per cent in June 2008. Premium first class
traffic dropped by 14.9 per cent, while economy class numbers were
down by 1.3 per cent.
Crucial talks between the airline management and trade unions over
cost-saving measures ended without agreement earlier this week,
prompting BA to call in the conciliation service Acas for mediation
between the two sides.
The airline, which has been suffering from high fuel costs, a weak
pound and stiff competition from budget airlines, recorded a
pre-tax loss of 401 million pounds (659 million dollars) in 2008, its
first since privatization in 1987.
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