British Airways (BA) today described a BBC report that the airline plans to cut as many as 15 European short-haul routes as "speculative".
"The numbers are speculation. As previously stated we have announced a strategic review of all parts of our business and that is due to be announced sometime in February," said a BA spokesman. "It's too early to say whether this will lead to cuts in routes".
Citing an interview with BA chief executive Mr Rod Eddington, broadcast on the BBC 10 p.m. news last night, the BBC website said about 15 of BA's European routes will be affected.
The online report quotes Mr Eddington directly as saying: "All parts of our route network have to pull their weight . . . we can't be all things to all people in all markets".
So far BA has been forced to cut some 7,000 jobs and slash costs and pay as well as flight frequencies to the US due to the drastic downturn in traffic following the aircraft hijackings in the US on September 11th and competition from no-frills airlines such as Easyjet.
AFP