The Hindu Business Line : BA to spruce up `business class'

BRITISH Airways plans to overhaul its long haul business class as part of its strategy to consolidate its new business opportunities derived from the massive increase in its direct services from India.

BA will invest £100 million (Rs 800 crore) in this project. This was the first major product investment announced by BA in five years.

"The investment will build on the success of the airline's existing Club World Flat bed in the business class and will set new standards for the business traveller," said Mr Willie Walsh, CEO of BA.

Mr Walsh, who was here in connection with the launch of the direct flight services between Bangalore and London, said on Tuesday that the upgradation would be completed by early next year with the long haul jets sporting new-look seat configurations, entertainment systems in all its passenger cabins, besides ground facilities in its terminals. BA was also looking up to the new terminal being built at a cost of £4.25 million exclusively for BA to provide world-class facilities to its passengers.

On managing the demand from the increased flights to India, Mr Walsh said, in the short term, BA plans to manage it by deploying more Boeing 767s from its fleet of 23 in the long haul, apart from re-arranging the capacity from some of the terminated services in its other international circuits. BA plans to operate 42 flights, up from 35 now, from the country by next year by increasing the frequencies from major destinations.

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