BA sees no impact on bookings from Brexit uncertainty

BA has not detected any change in ticket bookings as a result of uncertainty around Brexit. "We are not seeing any evidence of the Brexit impact," said Willie Walsh, CE of BA parent IAG, during a results briefing. He acknowledged that Ryanair and other airlines have warned how their operations could be affected, especially by a no-deal Brexit. But he insisted: "We don't see any impact on bookings or the profile of bookings going forward in terms of the visibility that we have." Walsh suspected that BA's heavy reliance on London and the UK southeast may be one explanation for the carrier's apparent resilience. "Maybe… we are not exposed to the whole of the UK as they [competitors] would be," he says. Nevertheless, BA has put in place contingency plans for the UK's scheduled departure from the EU on 31 October. These, Walsh noted, are based on "a sensible Brexit". He said the carrier will be flexible in adjusting capacity if bookings fluctuate.<br/>