BA declines to confirm further job loss rumours

British Airways has yet to confirm reports that a further 15,000 workers are to be made redundant after the company revealed it suffered its worst ever profit performance during the last three months of 2001.

Reporting a pre-tax loss of £160 million on Monday, February 4, the results stand in contrast to a pre-tax profit of £65 million for the same period last year.

While the figures proved better than had been expected, BA's chief executive Rod Eddington, warmed: "We have made real progress in managing our costs but British Airways still faces a number of considerable challenges some of which were apparent before the terrorist attacks on the USA".

Speaking on Tuesday February 5, a spokesperson for the airline stated that senior management were considering a variety of cost-cutting options as part of a new review process – one of which being further redundancies at the firm, which has already let go over 7,000 employees over the past few months.

However, the spokesperson would not comment any further on what direction the review - entitled the 'Future Size and Shape' plan – was taking, nor would they confirm reports that redundancy notices have already been drawn up by BA for imminent release, as suggested by the BBC. (CL)