TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "BAA Chief Executive Stephen Nelson: ‘We are still feeling our way towards the new normal’ – 16/11/06
Source: ©The Moodie Report
By Dermot Davitt
Email Print

Stephen Nelson: BAA is investing an additional £16 million in security, and removing 1,200sq m of retail space
Click here to download the full speech
UK. BAA Chief Executive Stephen Nelson says the company is still feeling its way towards a “new normal” in the aftermath of the August terror alert.

In his first major speech as BAA Chief Executive, he told a meeting of the Airport Operators’ Association yesterday: “Am I satisfied with the pace of our response on this? No, I am not. Passengers are still experiencing long queues on occasions. But the constraints on our business are significant, both in terms of physical infrastructure and recruitment lead times.”

But he said that BAA was investing heavily in reducing the inconvenience to passengers, and the damage to its business.

“By next month we will have in place an additional 500 security staff compared to August. Our additional investment amounts to £16 million a year on top of the £200 million we already spend. BAA, supported by its shareholders, will invest the resources to get this right. We are in the business of customer service.”

Nelson said that an extra 17 security lanes would be introduced in some 1,200sq m of space.

“This is the equivalent of 16 airside shops, and we have already served notice on the affected retailers,” he said.

In his speech, Nelson said that airport operators faced three “potent forces currently shaping our world�"