BA boss accuses minister of trying to take credit for new superjumbo service

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/23/ba-boss-minister-credit-superjumbo-walsh-mcloughlin

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After George Osborne's nuclear deal, it sounded like another triumph of British government diplomacy with China when a minister declared to the leaders of the aviation industry that the transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, was in Hong Kong launching British Airways' new A380 superjumbo service.

Unfortunately, the airline's irate boss, Willie Walsh, revealed that not only was McLoughlin not on board the plane, he had not been not invited – and was certainly not going to be allowed to take the credit.

Opening the Airport Operators Association conference in London, the air industry's major annual event, the new aviation minister Robert Goodwill announced on Monday: "The secretary of state, Patrick McLoughlin, cannot be with us here today because he's in China, promoting our interests.

"He will shortly be launching British Airways new A380 service from Hong Kong – and is coming back to the UK on that maiden flight."

But Walsh, the chief executive of British Airways' parent company IAG, said he was surprised to read that Patrick McLoughlin was on board, and confirmed in no uncertain terms that the minister was neither travelling nor invited on the inaugural flight of BA's new double-decker superjumbo from Airbus.

On the conference platform on Tuesday, Walsh stated: "The government has not done anything to launch our new services to China."

In fact, he said, its policies on air passenger duty and Chinese visas were harming British aviation and business.

He said: "It's not happening. I'm not going to sit here and let the government take credit for something we are doing on our own without their support."

BA has spent up to £3bn on 12 A380s, the first of which was delivered in the summer. The investment in larger planes was made particularly necessary by scarce capacity at its Heathrow airport home, a situation compounded by the coalition's decision to scrap the third runway.

British Airways later confirmed that McLoughlin was neither on the maiden flight nor attending the inaugural ceremonies, pointing out that the minister could not physically be on the maiden flight, which left Heathrow on Tuesday evening, as he was in China already.

Neither was McLoughlin booked on Wednesday's return leg. The airline also said that they were not aware of any discussions with the transport secretary ahead of the launch.

McLoughlin was, however, due to attend an event, as a non-speaking guest of the embassy, along with British business leaders, corporate clients and travel agencies on Thursday evening in Hong Kong – some 18 hours after the departure of the A380.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: "While in Hong Kong the transport secretary will be attending BA's event to mark the new Airbus A380 service between the UK and Hong Kong, as a guest and to promote British business."

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