ASFKAP
In a way, you have confirmed my assertion, that BA have the arrangements it has for all the wrong reasons; re-employing Welsh miners (re-trained) being only one of many. The give-away building has cost BA dearly.
Yes, part of the problem, almost a cause of it, is the number of types BA operates, and any long-term solution to BA's woes, apart from losing its present management, MUST start with reducing that number. As ever, BA is in that situation not from considered choice, but because it fell into it for all the wrong reasons.
It's all a bit like Heathrow. No-one is his or her right mind would build an airport like Heathrow, to serve Heathrow's planned capacity, on a greenfield site. The whole mess has evolved through a mixture of poor plannning, lack of long-term vision and/or the will to carry it through, bad management, political interference, frequent changes of purpose, and last-minute panic.
Back to BA Maintenance. I stand by my belief that no-one would set it up as it now is, given a clean sheet of paper and the task of creating an efficient maintenance structure for BA.
Dream of all BA base maintenance in one suitable place if in-house, otherwise contracted out to get the optimum combination of cost and quality. Essential line maintenance only at all its stations, but enhanced at LHR and LGW just enough to carry out some packages on the line to reduce hangar visits, and certain bigger unscheduled urgent tasks if and when needed.
Remind you of anyone?
My guess is that the cost of that could be 60% - 75% of the existing arrangements, with an improved outcome in terms of maintenance downtime and serviceability.
The reality is that it's never going to happen; there are too many entrenched prejudices and people inside the system who can't see how it looks from the outside.
PS Before anyone rises up to admonish me, yes, I am well aware of the problem of using up slots on non-revenue positioning flights. But why do aircraft have to go to scheduled base maintenance from, and come back to service at one of the hubs? Answer is, they don't.
Last edited by Capot; 17th Jun 2009 at 15:50.