Despite generating an operating profit of £975 million in 2014 (2013: £708 million), BA will continue to ensure that it is financially robust and is able to respond quickly to the ever-changing environment of the industry. Management is committed to delivering significant structural change to the cost base. BA continues to take delivery of new generation wide-bodied aircraft and the advanced technology of this new fleet is set to unlock significant fuel savings, whilst also contributing to BA’s continued efforts to minimise its environmental impact.
BA will continue to focus on customer satisfaction and improved operational performance, focusing on investments which matter most to the customer and on the use of technology to improve the customer journey. We have continued to invest in technology, which is a key element to revenue growth. This allows BA to better understand the needs of our customers and better target marketing campaigns where they will have the greatest penetration.
More emphasis will be placed on improving revenue and profit contributions from the short-haul business to ensure it delivers a sustainable return on its own merit. Improvements include seat densification, a new interior, and active management of the short-haul network.
The AJB now incorporates the merged American Airlines and US Airways, adding 27 new transatlantic routes and nine new European destinations to the AJB’s network. Where appropriate, BA will continue to seek to deepen other partnerships through the extension of codeshare relationships and the development of joint businesses and continues to be committed to the future development of the oneworld alliance, which welcomed TAM Airlines in 2014.