British Airways – planning for the 21st Century – reflecting consumer behaviour

British Airways (BA) has started a major evaluation of their requirements for the first 20 years of the 21stcentury, with a major appraisal of what their customers will require of them. In particular they have concluded that customers of long haul flights, which are increasing in popularity as prices come down and charter provision increases, that their passengers prefer to be able to move about the aircraft and have access to leisure and business facilities such as those found on the revamped Channel and North Sea Ferries.

A review of mass transportation shows that in addition to the major changes in on-board facilities on ferries to meet the challenge of the Channel Tunnel, there are also noticeable changes to rail services across Western Europe that aims to offer the same level of customer service. BA, therefore, is reviewing these changes, by arguing that this will need a major rethinking of the whole concept of air travel. They have entered into negotiations with major aircraft manufacturers to come up with a proposal that would incorporate the following features:-

  • 600 seat capacity aircraft
  • 3 decks – 1 for take off and landing, 1 for bar and leisure area,1 for storing of luggage and business services area
  • Quieter and more fuel efficient aircraft
  • Pollution effects to be rapidly reduced, particularly the ozone effect
  • To provide meals in a similar way to ferries
  • The aircraft to have the ability to us existing airports, i.e. they are no longer than or their wing spans wider than the existing 747s
  • Passenger windows to be replaced by a continuous strip of TV monitors, providing an all round view.
  • Each seat to have its own flat screen, providing TV/ video games and a stereo system
  • Each jet to have the capacity to reach Singapore, Australia etc., without stopovers
  • Total demand for the new aircraft to be 75 with BA taking 15

These specifications may seem to be asking far too much, but they offer a major challenge to the aircraft manufacturers and also offers a major insight into the way that future aircraft development may take place. Instead of these developments taking place around the product, i.e. the aircraft, they are now based around the customer requirements and the needs of the service providers/ airline companies to cater for them.

This planning document was published 20 years ago – what has happened since then to the airline industry especially China?