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Dubai BAA and British Airways (BA), the UK's flagship carrier that operates 55 weekly services from the Gulf to London Heathrow, yesterday announced that the planned move of the airline's long haul services - including the Middle East - from Terminal 4 at Heathrow to Terminal 5 will be deferred until June.
Under original plans, almost all British Airways' Terminal 4 long-haul services were due to switch to Terminal 5 on April 30. These total about 60 departures and 60 arrivals per day. Customers who will fly from Terminal 4 rather than Terminal 5 as a result of this postponement will be contacted shortly, the airline said.
Opening
"The airline's travellers from the Gulf will get their first taste of Terminal 5 in June 2008 - when phase two of the opening takes place with flights transferring from Terminal 4," BA and BAA said in a joint statement yesterday.
While a normal flight schedule has been operated at Terminal 5 since Tuesday, BAA and British Airways want to ensure that customers can be confident of high service standards when additional flights are introduced.
BAA and British Airways will work together to iron out any remaining problems, including the baggage system and its operation, and develop a robust timescale for phasing the move of Terminal 4 services into Terminal 5.
Good service
"We are making this decision in the interests of customers. Though Terminal 5 is now working well, we need to have confidence that good service can be maintained when the terminal is handling larger numbers of customers. It is only sensible to ensure that Terminal 5 is operating consistently at a high standard before the move begins," said Willie Walsh, BA's Chief Executive.
"BAA regrets this postponement, and we recognize the impact it has on other airlines, but we believe it is a wise precaution to ensure that passengers can have the maximum confidence once the move does take place," said Colin Matthews, BAA's Chief Executive.
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