LONDON (AFP) — British Airways chief Willie Walsh said Wednesday the state of London's Heathrow Airport was damaging the country's reputation and economy.
His outburst came a day after Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American Airlines, slammed Britain's biggest airport, branding it a "bit of a dump" and the "worst" among major European air hubs.
Heathrow, the world's busiest international passenger airport, is struggling to regain its reputation after the new 4.3-billion-pound Terminal 5 descended into chaos with chronic baggage problems.
"I believe it is in the interest of the country that the reputation of Heathrow is restored on a lasting basis as quickly as possible," airline boss Walsh told the Institute of Directors business chiefs' organisation.
He told their 3,000-strong annual conference at the Royal Albert Hall that Heathrow was lagging behind other top European airports like Paris, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, which boast more runways and greater capacity.
"For the sake of the UK economy and London's place as a business capital, Heathrow has to catch up," the Irishman said.
"If things continue to decline, UK businesses will lose competitiveness and might be forced to consider relocating abroad.
"Businesses will also find it difficult to attract inward investment."
The airport was "full" and flights were subjected to more delays than in other European capitals, he added.
Langford had told BBC radio: "Heathrow is not just bursting at the seams. I think the seams have burst.
"If you look at the fabric of the building, if you look at where customers check in -- missing light bulbs, duct tape on the floor.
"I would have to say that Heathrow is in many ways the worst of all the airports that my company flies to in Europe."
Earlier this month, London Minister Tessa Jowell said the Terminal 5 shambles had damaged the capital and was costing the city international business.
Walsh apologised to business leaders for the mess at Terminal 5, which opened on March 27 and badly affected British Airways, with thousands of passengers losing their bags and hundreds of flights delayed or cancelled.
"The opening was a bitterly disappointing day for BA. We got things wrong and we let people down and I apologise again," he said.
"We did not deliver on what should have been a day of celebration."
He said the terminal had vastly improved in recent weeks and voiced confidence that it would eventually work well.
Walsh added that the aviation industry's drive was towards reducing environmental impact rather than increasing speed.
"We can develop much faster aircraft but they're not as efficient from a fuel point of view," he said.
He dismissed rival firm Virgin's explorations of space travel as "flights of fancy."
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