More long-haul BA flights move to T5

British Airways is to begin a phased transfer of several of its long-haul routes to Terminal 5 next month.

Issuing a joint statement with airports operator BAA, the airline confirmed that from June 5 eight long-haul destinations will be moved over to T5.

The affected routes are New York JFK, Abuja, Bangalore, Beijing, Cairo, Cape Town, Lagos and Phoenix.

"We will move our Terminal 4 long-haul program into Terminal 5 in phases," asserted BA chief executive Willie Walsh, adding that the move was in the best interest of customers.

When BA attempted to transfer its short-haul flights during the opening of T5 in March, the move rapidly descended into chaos as the baggage handling system broke down and hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Officials are said to favour a staggered approach to transferring long-haul flights in order to avoid similar difficulties and restore the public's faith in the £4.3 billion terminal.

The eight long-haul services that are being moved account for approximately one-quarter of BA's current operations in Terminal 4.

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