British Airways plans to resume flights to Tripoli from Tuesday May 1, 2012.

The return of services between Heathrow and Tripoli follows a thorough security review in conjunction with the UK Government and the Libyan authorities.

British Airways’ chief executive Keith Williams said: “We are delighted to be returning to Libya. Our flights to Tripoli have provided a vital economic link for many years, and it is good news for everyone that we can now restart operations.”

The airline will fly to and from Tripoli three times a week.

British Airways press release, January 23, 2012 006/TC/12

Fly Away Success Of Customer Service iPads Leads To Airline-Wide Roll-Out

British Airways customers around the world will benefit from a new level of customer service thanks to thousands of iPads being issued to the airline’s senior cabin crew from next week.

The move comes after a highly successful trial, involving 100 senior crew members, who are responsible for delivering service to customers onboard the airline’s 226 aircraft.

iPad Crew

Specially developed software and apps enable cabin crew to tap into data giving them customer preferences and their previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a uniquely personalised service.

The three month-long trial has been judged such a fly away success that British Airways has given the go-ahead for the specially equipped iPad 2 to be issued to 2,000 senior cabin crew across the entire British Airways long and shorthaul fleet.

Frank van der Post, British Airways’ managing director, brands and customer experience, said: “The possibilities for future development of the iPad are endless, and this is only the beginning. Once the roll-out has been completed, our crew worldwide will be able to offer a premium and more thoughtful onboard service to customers in every cabin.

Bill Francis, British Airways’ head of inflight customer experience, added: “The benefit of the iPads has been felt right from the beginning, with fantastic feedback from both customers and cabin crew alike.

“The iPads provide real-time insight into our customers’ preferences across a whole range of areas, from special meal requests to onward travel plans enabling us to deliver a truly bespoke service.””

The iPad discreetly replaces long cumbersome scrolls of paper, which are normally handed to cabin crew, listing up to 337 customers, just before the doors close and the aircraft departs.

Instead, the iPad, equipped with British Airways-developed apps, is simply refreshed just before departure using 3G technology, to provide cabin crew with an up-to-the-minute passenger and preference list.

This means any customer service issues which arise in the air, can immediately be followed up by ground-based colleagues as soon as the aircraft lands and the iPad reconnects to the network.

The iPad also shows cabin crew where each customer is seated, who they are travelling with, their Executive Club status and any special meal requests. In addition, it also gives them a vast library of information at their fingertips including timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates.

Destination guides to are also being loaded on to the iPads so cabin crew can provide customers with the latest information about key cities served by British Airways.

iPads used by pursers onboard the British Airways business class-only service between London City Airport and New York’s JFK, can also get live updates throughout the flight, thanks to the services’ unique OnAir capability, which allows internet access across the Atlantic.

Over the next five years British Airways will be investing more than £5bn in new aircraft, smarter cabins, elegant lounges,and new technologies to make life more comfortable in the air and on the ground.
British Airways press release, Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

British Airways cabin crew are using the latest iPad model to bring a new dimension to customer service in the air.

The iPads enable cabin crew to have prior awareness of customer preferences and a greater understanding of each customer’s previous travel arrangements, allowing them to offer a truly bespoke, personalised service.

The iPad lets crew quickly identify where each customer is seated, who they are travelling with, their Executive Club status and any special meal requests. It gives cabin crew a whole library of information at their fingertips including timetables, safety manuals and customer service updates. It also means any issues can be logged with ground-based colleagues around the network prior to departure so solutions can be delivered while the flight is airborne.

When all the passengers have boarded and just before the doors are shut, cabin crew are currently handed a long scroll of paper, listing up to 337 customers. With the new iPads cabin crew will simply refresh their screen when the doors have closed through wireless 3G networks and they will have a complete list of passengers on board.

Bill Francis, British Airways’ head of inflight customer experience, said: “The iPad is already allowing us to offer a more personalised onboard service, but the possibilities for future development are endless. We’re receiving great feedback from cabin crew and customers already. It allows the crew to offer the thoughtful service they want to deliver and customers are treated as valued guests.”

The iPad is currently being trialled with 100 cabin crew with the aim to roll it out to all senior crew members across the airline in the coming months.

British Airways press release, Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

British Airways and airberlin are cementing their relationship by entering into a codeshare arrangement on more than 40 flights across Europe.

This agreement means that British Airways’ customers can now buy direct flights on airberlin to the cities of Nuremburg, Munster and Paderborn through ba.com. In addition customers can access airberlin’s wider European network which includes connections from the main German gateways to destinations such as Palermo and Brindisi.

The new agreement will come into effect on July 5, 2011 and will benefit both business and leisure travellers by offering a “one-stop-shop” to several new destinations, and enhancing connectivity within Europe for both British Airways and airberlin customers.

This codeshare between the airlines precedes airberlin’s entry into oneworld in April 2012 which is being sponsored by British Airways.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ CEO, said: “The new airberlin services are the perfect complement to our existing European routes. Both airlines are committed to a full service offering and excellent value for money and this codeshare provides our customers with a preview of what is to come when airberlin officially joins oneworld next year.”

Joachim Hunold, CEO airberlin, said: “British Airways is our sponsoring airline within oneworld. That makes this new agreement a milestone for us as we look forward to the coming year, during which airberlin will be joining the alliance. Thanks to these codeshare flights with British Airways, our passengers will now have available to them two further airports, in addition to Gatwick and Stansted, from which they can continue their journey towards other destinations in the UK.”

British Airways press release, Wednesday, June 15th, 2011

One of Europe’s largest Airbus Single Aisle fleets

British Airways has taken delivery of an A320 aircraft, making it a member of a prestigious airline club that can boast 100 or more aircraft deliveries from every member of Airbus’ Single Aisle aircraft Family. The airline has already taken delivery of two A318s, 33 A319s, 48 A320s and 16 A321s.



The 100th aircraft (an A320 powered by IAE engines) is also the 205th Airbus single aisle delivered to International Airlines Group, which was formed in January 2011 folllowing the merger of British Airways and Iberia.

Keith Williams, British Airways CEO said: "This milestone underlines British Airways' commitment to continue to invest in new aircraft for the benefit of our customers. The average age of our shorthaul Airbus fleet is just over seven years old, making it one of the youngest Airbus fleets of the European network carriers."

British Airways became an Airbus operator in 1988, when it introduced the A320 in its fleet. It added the A319 in 1999, the A321 in 2004 and the A318 in 2009.

“We are very proud that a world class airline like British Airways operates every member of our single aisle family aircraft, and even prouder to deliver to BA their 100th Airbus A320 family aircraft. We look forward to broadening and deepening our partnership with BA,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO.

With over 7,000 aircraft ordered, and more than 4,600 aircraft delivered to over 330 customers and operators worldwide, the A320 Family is today the world’s best-selling single-aisle aircraft family.

1 June 2011 Airbus Press Release