British Airways (BA) is splitting its business into shorthaul and longhaul divisions and scrapping its geography-based structure in a move aimed at achieving greater regional focus, improving customer service and boosting revenues.
Industry sources say the split will allow BA to pinpoint and tackle problems with its shorthaul services, which typically deliver lower yields than longhaul.
BA's Passenger Business and Cargo division is split into four units: Europe minus the UK, Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and the Middle East, Africa and the UK.
Over the next few months these units will be replaced by a new shorthaul unit combining UK and European operations, and two longhaul divisions covering the Americas and the rest of the world.
The airline is also overhauling its management structure, with 15 area offices due to be reduced to 12 "global business units". BA's Mediterranean area will be split into two; the eastern part merged with Eastern Europe and the west with France. The Nordic office will be merged with Germany, and Canada with the USA.
Source: Flight International
