British Airways-2
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 659
Likes: 10
From: The EU
BA have been transporting large quantities of rubber from Bangkok. A lot of it stays onboard on arrival and goes onwards to motor production sites in the USA and Canada. Given that Malaysia is the world's third largest producer of natural rubber, I'd imagine these flights are related.
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 49
From: BMA
The Glasgow flights are almost certainly PPE flights. I believe the others are too. https://cdfimages.photoshelter.com/i...000k0cPMz310RI
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 659
Likes: 10
From: The EU
As I’ve said twice, the recent additional BKK and KUL flights are transporting materials for the automotive industry in North America. All of these aircraft go straight on to GSP, ATL, YHZ or ORD. The occasional GLA flights are separate, as are the BKK/KUL flights with the usual (old) flight numbers.
There’s very little PPE being brought in these days, most of the COVID related cargo from the Far East is things like testing kits. There isn’t a PPE shortage any more so it’s not urgent enough to be carried by air on mass.
There’s very little PPE being brought in these days, most of the COVID related cargo from the Far East is things like testing kits. There isn’t a PPE shortage any more so it’s not urgent enough to be carried by air on mass.
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 659
Likes: 10
From: The EU
I’m far from an expert, but there is a global shortage of natural rubber which has pushed the commodity price up over 70% in the last year. Given it’s importance to the automotive industry, if it’s needed urgently in the USA then it needs to be shipped by air.
Supply chains across the entire automotive industry have been hugely disrupted since the start of the pandemic, exacerbated by vast peaks and troughs in demand across different parts of the world. For airlines like BA and TUI, it’s been valuable revenue at a time when fleets would be more or less grounded.
Some meat to the bone:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...running-out-of
https://www.reuters.com/article/asia...-idUSL4N2HE0BD
Supply chains across the entire automotive industry have been hugely disrupted since the start of the pandemic, exacerbated by vast peaks and troughs in demand across different parts of the world. For airlines like BA and TUI, it’s been valuable revenue at a time when fleets would be more or less grounded.
Some meat to the bone:
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/2...running-out-of
https://www.reuters.com/article/asia...-idUSL4N2HE0BD
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 659
Likes: 10
From: The EU
Because BA are based at LHR. If it wasn’t going to work for them, they wouldn’t have bid for the work.
Geographically, flying North is the most direct routing. A direct flight isn’t possible due to the Himalayas, and ULH cargo isn’t feasible as it would be load constrained. Flying via ANC would add another 500-600NM of ground distance, and whilst it would probably result in a slightly more efficient routing once winds are accounted for, it’s so marginal that it would be outweighed by the benefits of flying via LHR - crewing flexibility, engineering on site, no requirement to position crew to/from ANC, route unfamiliarity (oxygen escape routes over Russia, Alaska etc), overflight permits etc.
Geographically, flying North is the most direct routing. A direct flight isn’t possible due to the Himalayas, and ULH cargo isn’t feasible as it would be load constrained. Flying via ANC would add another 500-600NM of ground distance, and whilst it would probably result in a slightly more efficient routing once winds are accounted for, it’s so marginal that it would be outweighed by the benefits of flying via LHR - crewing flexibility, engineering on site, no requirement to position crew to/from ANC, route unfamiliarity (oxygen escape routes over Russia, Alaska etc), overflight permits etc.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: UK
Has BA taken the opportunity of the last year to update its software
In August 2019, BA was forced to cancel many flights at three London airports due to a software glitch. In 2017 there was a severe software failure. According to the FT, senior software engineers had been let go, and systems had been outsourced to Tata Consultancy Services in 2016, though it was said that they were not responsible for the crashes. BA has dozens of old legacy systems. And at the same time there is conflicting pressure to provide new capabilities and features. It was said in the FT that BA's old legacy systems are very hard to migrate off. Low cost carriers like easyJet, it was said, have simpler systems that can offer better customer services and maximise revenue.
I'm SLF and not IT, but it occurs to me that the last year will have been an ideal time for BA to have been updating its old legacy IT systems, and install and test updates, to reduce the possibility of future software crashes like those in the recent past. Does anyone know if BA has been doing this?
I'm SLF and not IT, but it occurs to me that the last year will have been an ideal time for BA to have been updating its old legacy IT systems, and install and test updates, to reduce the possibility of future software crashes like those in the recent past. Does anyone know if BA has been doing this?
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 345
Likes: 75
From: Kipling's Twain
I would have thought that a year in which your revenue has been reduced 90% is probably not the year that you spend money on software upgrades.
Every department will have been on minimal budgets, including IT.
But maybe I am wrong...
Every department will have been on minimal budgets, including IT.
But maybe I am wrong...
Paxing All Over The World
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 10,841
Likes: 328
From: Hertfordshire, UK.
From my observations, BA only spend money on their IT when forced. The board seems unaware that, without IT, they do not exist. Its a standard 20th Century point of view.
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 415
Likes: 13
From: EDI, LHR, NQY
anxiao
On the contrary, a vastly-reduced schedule would seem the ideal time to install and test new systems; certainly, it would be preferrable suffering a(nother) meltdown over a summer bank holiday weekend.
On the contrary, a vastly-reduced schedule would seem the ideal time to install and test new systems; certainly, it would be preferrable suffering a(nother) meltdown over a summer bank holiday weekend.