BAA, the owner of Britain’s three biggest airports, is reported to be planning to cut up to 2,000 jobs.
A number of the 4,000 workers in HR, IT, planning and marketing are likely contenders for the axe, and the announcement is sparking fears over airport chaos.
Reported in The Times, Ferrovial, the Spanish Company that bought BAA last year, is planning the job cuts despite heavy criticism through the summer over standards at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, in particular concerning long delays at security and the shoddy state of terminals. According to the report, the company is axing staff in a bid to boost profits.
Tony Douglas, who resigned as Heathrow’s chief executive last month, had said the airport was “bursting at the seams” and in some places “held together by sticking plaster”.
However, a BAA spokesman admitted that there would be job cuts but said that there is no final number. “This is a simplification exercise aimed at support staff much more than frontline staff. It’s not simply about costs. It’s about building a much leaner and more efficient business.”
BAA employs 15,000 people worldwide, including 13,000 in Britain.
