BA boss: Heathrow T5 needs more time

British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh has appealed for customers and the aviation industry not to judge Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport on the basis of its first few days.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Institute of Directors, Mr Walsh once again apologised for the catastrophic opening of Terminal 5 and said he was "bitterly disappointed" at the problems the facility had encountered, the Times reports.

However, he asked business delegates not to make rash judgements on the basis of Terminal 5's first few days.

Mr Walsh also claimed that, following the postponement of the move of BA's long-haul flights to the new terminal, the airline was now on schedule to meet its new timetable for transferring services.

The airline executive also sounded a warning for the future of the whole of Heathrow, saying that Britain could begin to lose businesses if the airport fails to keep up with its European rivals.

He also underlined the importance of a third runway at Heathrow and claimed that, had BAA not owned Heathrow, Stansted Airport and Gatwick Airport, all three would have been developed more quickly.