MPs to grill BA boss over deep job cuts

Airlines boss Willie Walsh will be grilled by MPs tomorrow over controversial plans to cut more than a quarter of the BA workforce. The CE of BA's parent IAG will be asked to justify the culling of 12,000 BA jobs when IAG has GBP8.7b cash reserves. Walsh is also likely to be quizzed by the transport select committee about the decision to make deep cuts at BA but no redundancies at IAG's Spanish airlines – Iberia and Vueling. This is despite BA contributing around 60% of group profits last year. The hearing is part of an investigation into the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry. Huw Merriman, chairman of the Transport Select Committee and Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle, said: "We are trying to work out what IAG's strategy is. Are the job cuts all about surviving the coronavirus crisis, or is it a plan Willie Walsh has had all along to cut costs – and he's using the pandemic as an opportunity?"<br/>