British Airways revealed multiple facets of its £7 billion transformation plan at a showcase event in London on Monday night, including new seats, routes and digital products.
The airline is planning more than 600 initiatives as it invests "in every part of its business" with new short-haul seats, free onboard messaging and a new website and app among developments announced at the event by senior leaders including chief executive Sean Doyle.
Some £750 million is being spent on upgrading the airline's IT infrastructure and £100 million in operational efficiencies as key components of its "journey to a better BA for our people and for our customers".
"I've been running BA for three years and the rebuild has been not without its challenges, not just at BA but across the industry," said Doyle. He said the investment programme is "the most significant transformation in our history" and emphasised the "huge focus on operational resilience and punctuality", adding that the airline has already seen a "significant turnaround from where we were six months ago."
Following much speculation, a new First class suite for its A380 aircraft operating across the Atlantic was also confirmed – but with details remaining firmly under wraps – and should make its debut towards the end of 2025.
The airline's new short-haul seats and cabin interiors – produced in collaboration with suppliers from England, Scotland and Northern Ireland – will feature on Airbus A320neos and A321neos, with BA taking delivery of eight of the aircraft in May. Club Europe seats will be separated by a leather tray and, like the new Euro traveller economy seats, will be fitted with USB-A and USB-C power points.
The return of services to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur were also detailed, with flights restarting from Gatwick to the Thai capital in October and a daily service from Heathrow to Malaysia's capital commencing in November.
A new website and app are currently being piloted and will deliver enhanced personalisation and self-serve capabilities, with initial changes due to begin rolling out by the end of the year.
Onboard, meanwhile, members of the airline's Executive Club will be able to send messages free-of-charge on wifi-enabled aircraft from 3 April regardless of loyalty status or the cabin in which they're travelling.
The airline is also now using wifi connectivity to keep cabin crew in touch with customer care staff on the ground on more than 300 flights a day in order to help solve unexpected issues before a flight lands.
British Airways will also open a new, larger lounge at Dubai Airport later this year which will be the first to feature the carrier's new design concept. Another lounge in the new mould will follow in Miami in 2025.
Doyle said the airline is "laser-focused on transforming our business and fixing any pain points" for customers.
“We’re going to take delivery of new aircraft, introduce new cabins, elevate our customer care, focus on operational performance and address our environmental impact by reducing our emissions and creating a culture of sustainability," added Doyle.
British Airways' parent company IAG posted a record profit in 2023 but said business travel recovery still lags behind leisure travel performance in its results statement published last week.