BA enjoys London Olympics boost

Parent company International Airlines Group said premium and leisure travel was “positively impacted” as a result, helped by a ‘Thank-you Great Britain sale’, which ended on September 25.

Strong levels of business travel helped boost the BA and Iberia holding company in September. Premium traffic rose by 8% over the same month last year while leisure travel was up by 4.6%.

Overall traffic grew by 2.7% on a like by like basis when measured in revenue passenger kilometres.

Iberia low cost offshoot Iberia Express marked six months of operation, carrying 1.5 million passengers in the period with a 94% punctuality rating. This winter, Iberia Express will operate to 16 destinations – seven international and nine domestic – this winter.

IAG said: “Trading conditions at our London hub remain firm. Performance at Madrid continues to be impacted by weak economic conditions, with short haul traffic particularly affected.”