BA careers terminated by T5 fiasco!

The careers of two senior British Airways executives were ended abruptly today. Only days after Willie Walsh said nobody was going, these two get the chop. Gareth Kirkwood, director of operations, and David Noyes, director of customer services, are going. One wonders what Willie is thinking. He says he's got to stay in order to sort out the mess. Had he no contributing hand in all this? Sounds like he swanned in all aghast at the terrible chaos, but saw none of it as being linked to him.

If Willie Walsh ever appeared on the Apprentice as project manager with these two hapless boardroom casualties, it would be fairly obvious that the audience would be wondering how he escaped. "What was you thinking, Willie? 25,000 bags went missing! You weren't there. You brought Gareth back into the boardroom. Why him? A wizz at computers, eh? And what of David. No good, was 'e?" It would make good TV if nothing else!

However, the T5 story goes on. A bit like Peyton Place, for those who can remember it. Now insurance companies are saying they won't insure lost bags in Terminal 5. It's never ending. Someone needs to get a grip, and it's not just the bag handles.

BA! BAA! Baggage Man! Have you any bags?

Terminal 5 at Heathrow is facing fresh baggage woes. Heathrow's operator BAA found its computer system, which sorts bags before they are loaded onto flights, had malfunctioned and manual sorting has had to be carried out. A spokeswoman described the situation today as "incredibly disappointing" but said the airline was working with BAA to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING? This is all becoming an incurable affliction rather than a minor ailment. It wouldn't be disappointing if British Airways had carried out proper checks in the first place. Most people involved in the dummy runs suggested that it was a calamity waiting to happen. The "Spanish Practices" of BAA don't help either. It is about time this outfit was broken up and proper running of our airports got underway.

BAA owns not just Heathrow, but Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports. As if that was not enough, the hopeless Ferrovial has managed to get its hands on Belfast City Airport.

Where is the wretched Transport Secretary in all this? Baby Ruth may be a candy bar, but Gordon's Ruth is not so sweet!

The Willie Walsh job interview!

"Good morning, Willie. We'd just like to ask you a few questions. OK?"
"Yes!"
"What makes you think you'll make a good job of running Terminal 5?"
"Well, I've kissed the Blarney Stone. Will that help?"
"Could do. Have you had any experience handling bags?"
"Not actually carrying bags, if that's what you mean, but I once carried the bishop's mitre when I was an altar boy!"
"Very commendable. How are you at car parking? Have you much experience?"
"Not with parking other people's cars. I did come top in my driving test with my three-point turns, though."
"Excellent! Very good. Well, that's about it then, Willie. Have you any questions before you start?"
"Yes. Where do I pick up the key to start that conveyor belt thing?"