Owners back under-fire boss
THE boss of the company that owns British Airways finally broke his silence last night to offer customers a ‘sincere apology’.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group, admitted the IT meltdown that grounded hundreds of flights had caused ‘reputational damage’ to the once-proud brand.
But insisting that he fully understood the ‘huge frustrations’ felt by many travellers, Mr Walsh stood solidly behind BA’s chief executive Alex Cruz, who has faced calls to quit. He said Mr Cruz could not be held responsible for a ‘catastrophic electrical failure’.
Mr Walsh, who built his personal reputation by being highly visible during past crises, told the Daily Mail: ‘I don’t get out there in my high-vis jacket any longer.’
He said it was an ‘operational issue’ so it was for BA and Mr Cruz to deal with.
He added: ‘Alex did all he could in very, very difficult circumstances. It was not a problem of his making. He has worked flat out to fix it. I sincerely apologise to all concerned.’