JEDDAH, 26 November — "There has never been a safer time to fly," says Terry Daly, the general manager of British Airways for the Middle East, North Africa and Central and South Asia.
Daly was speaking to reporters at a press conference at BA’s head office in Jeddah to demonstrate the airline’s plans to overcome the difficulties facing the aviation industry since the Sept. 11 kamikaze attacks on the United States.
Daly spoke about the safety precautions being put into effect by BA.
"Even before Sept. 11, we had some of the most stringent security measures in the world. Following the terror attacks in the US, we took immediate steps such as additional passenger and hand baggage search at boarding points around the world, a ban on carrying sharp implements on board and replacement of metal cutlery with plastic ones," Daly said.
"In addition, we have embarked on major safety improvements on cockpit doors, which now remain locked. Obviously there are many more measures that I cannot talk about," he added.
BA also announced additional safety measures at its overseas stations including an armed guard for aircraft on the ground. "We believe that robust and excellent ground security is at the heart of achieving security in the air," the BA executive said.
Daly spoke about the airline’s plans to overcome problems in the industry by reviewing every aspect of its operations. He said operational costs will be cut wherever possible. Some 7,000 jobs will be eliminated across the airline by the end of the current financial year, he added.
Speaking about passenger response, Daly said, "We are starting to witness some improvement on some routes in the weeks preceding Ramadan. Flights from Saudi Arabia showed significant growth which we expect to continue in the new year. Elsewhere in the Gulf states, sales’ numbers and visitors to the BA travel shops are increasing week by week".
Daly told Arab News that there are no extra security checks or procedures for the Middle Eastern passengers.
Chris Phipps, the country commercial manager of BA in the Kingdom, said, "We don’t differentiate between our passengers".
Asked about the Middle East share of the job cuts, Daly said "10 percent from the general job cuts were in the airline’s Middle East offices. It’s painful, but we have to keep going..."
British Airways, one of the oldest carriers operating to the Middle East, serves 21 destinations in 14 countries across the region.
