Additional airport security introduced to prevent terrorist attacks during August costs BA £100 million, according to company figures.
Despite the additional costs of security the carrier today announced it has made an operating profit of £134 million for the second quarter of this year and recorded an increase in revenue of 4.9%.
British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh said: “Given the significant impact of the security disruptions, estimated at a cost of some £100 million, these are good results. Despite the extremely difficult operational environment, we have delivered improved revenue.”
BA was preparing to rollout of its next generation Club World flat bed later this month, Walsh said. The airline will also enhance ba.com to make it easier for customers to book and get information about their travel plans.
The website was an “invaluable tool” during the disruption in August because it gave hundreds of thousands of our customers quick and easy access to the very latest news, Walsh said.
British Airways’ chairman Martin Broughton said: “Overall market conditions are broadly unchanged. Long-haul premium transfer and short-haul premium traffic, although recovering, continue to be affected by the tighter security arrangements currently in place.
“As a result, total revenue is now expected to be 4.5 per cent to 5 per cent higher than last year.”