Training shortfall heads lessons learned from T5

Staff had received insufficient training and corners were cut on testing the baggage-handling system before the opening of London Heathrow's Terminal 5 (T5) on 27 March 2008, senior officials at British Airways (BA) and airport operator BAA have told members of parliament (MPs).

Appearing on 7 May 2008 before the UK House of Commons Transport Committee, BA Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh admitted that "we did compromise on our testing programme", describing this as "a calculated risk".

He added: "We didn't provide them [staff] with sufficient familiarisation and training."

One source told Jane's that, although training did take place over a six-month period, staff undertaking courses were drawn from other terminals as and when they could be made available, adding: "There wasn't really any other way to do this."

The source said that on opening day training supervisors were notable by their absence in certain key areas, such as the baggage make-up hall. Had they been present in significant numbers then they would have immediately spotted what staff working there were doing and acted accordingly, the source added.

"This is possibly the main lesson that other new terminals simply must take on board if they are to avoid the type of scenes that haunted the opening of T5," the source added.

BAA Chief Executive Officer Colin Matthews admitted to MPs that testing at T5 had been inadequate. "With the benefit of hindsight, we could clearly say that the totality of the testing regime did not adequately reflect the first day of operations," he said. 254 of 660 words