British Airways to add 350 new workers to Heathrow workforce, upgrade IT systems

British Airways will raise staffing levels at London's Heathrow Airport by 5% in an effort to minimise any potential disruptions over the peak summer travel season.

Britain's flagship carrier, owned by Spain's International Consolidated Airlines Group, expects summer 2024 to be its busiest in half a decade and will look to recruit roughly 350 new workers in order to fill customer service and ground handling roles.

The airline, which will also upgrade computers and other technology at the hub, will add people as part of a broader transformation plan being implemented by chief executive Sean Doyle.

British Airways laid off thousands of staff during the Covid-19 pandemic and then faced difficulties in rehiring as travel rebounded sharply and has also struggled with repeatedly failing IT systems, stranding travellers with last-minute flight cancellations.

BA's new IT system will not be fully rolled out by the end of this summer, meaning that its newly hired extra staff will be central to making sure operations run smoothly.

As of 1345 BST, IAG shares were down 0.77% at 173.85p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com