February traffic statistics

British Airways PLC
05 March 2003





                TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS - February 2003


Summary of the headline figures

In February 2003, overall load factor remained flat at 66.1 per cent. Passenger
capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres, was 3.5 per cent below February
2002 and traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres, was lower by 5.6 per
cent. This resulted in a passenger load factor down 1.6 points versus last year,
to 70.0 per cent. A number of operational issues have impacted the month
including, snow and ice at London Heathrow and major snow storms at many of our
US east coast gateways and security alerts at Heathrow and Gatwick. The fall in
traffic comprised a 14.3 per cent reduction in premium traffic and a 5.6 per
cent decrease in non-premium traffic. Cargo, measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres,
increased by 0.9 per cent.




Market conditions

The economic and political environment is challenging as the threat of war and
terrorism grows.




Strategic Developments

British Airways criticised the Civil Aviation Authority for failing to revise
its new pricing regime at Heathrow airport which will allow the airport
operator, BAA, to raise landing charges by up to 50 per cent over the next five
years.


The airline believes the new charges, which will come into force on April 1,
2003, are stacked against airlines and passengers and go way beyond the
requirements needed to fund BAA's capital programme over the next five years.


British Airways introduced a short term policy to allow customers to change
their ticket reservation free of charge on long haul economy tickets, including
restricted tickets that currently do not allow changes. The new arrangement
applies to reservations made between 14 February and 17 March 2003 which can be
changed anytime up to 31 May 2003, for travel until the end of December 2003.
Customers can choose to change their destination, dates or class of travel.

A three month internet trial began on a British Airways 747-400 aircraft, on
services between London Heathrow and New York using Connexion by Boeing
broadband system. Passengers can plug in their laptop from their seat and access
personal and work emails, corporate intranets and the web.


British Airways, its oneworld partner Iberia and franchise partner GB Airways
announced new codeshare routes from February 20 on services between London
Heathrow and Seville, Valencia, Malaga, Santiago de Compostela and Bilbao and
services between London, Gatwick and Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao.


Iberia added its code to nine GB Airways operated services; London Gatwick and
Almeria, Girona-Costa Brava, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Mahon-Menorca, Malaga,
Seville and Valencia, and London Heathrow to Malaga.


British Airways and its oneworld partner Cathay Pacific Airways increased their
code-shared destinations to nineteen with the announcement of extra code-share
flights to Seoul, Copenhagen and Lisbon.


From 4 March 2003, British Airways will add its code to a daily Cathay Pacific
flight between Hong Kong and Seoul providing smoother connections and improved
choice for passengers travelling to Asia Pacific.


At the same time, Cathay Pacific will add its code on selected British Airways'
European flights operating between London Heathrow and Copenhagen and Lisbon
providing smoother European connections for passengers travelling on Cathay
Pacific's flights between London and Hong Kong.


ends

March 5, 2003 022/KG/03

                                BRITISH AIRWAYS MONTHLY TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS
                                           Month of February                                 Financial year to date
                                                                                             April through February
BRITISH AIRWAYS GROUP                                       Change                                         Change
SCHEDULED SERVICES                    2003         2002        (%)               2002/3         2001/2        (%)
Passengers carried (000)
UK/Europe                             1923         1895       +1.5                24522          25166       -2.6
Americas                               465          479       -2.9                 6123           6092       +0.5
Asia Pacific                           113          147      -22.9                 1431           1625      -11.9
Africa and Middle East                 220          217       +1.4                 2368           2539       -6.7
Total                                 2722         2738       -0.6                34445          35422       -2.8
Revenue passenger km (m)
UK/Europe                             1458         1463       -0.4                19220          20167       -4.7
Americas                              3159         3293       -4.1                41319          41666       -0.8
Asia Pacific                          1171         1502      -22.0                14645          16398      -10.7
Africa and Middle East                1510         1477       +2.2                16025          17192       -6.8
Total                                 7298         7735       -5.6                91208          95424       -4.4
Available seat km (m)
UK/Europe                             2358         2399       -1.7                28722          32224      -10.9
Americas                              4521         4534       -0.3                56372          57874       -2.6
Asia Pacific                          1566         1923      -18.5                18920          22408      -15.6
Africa and Middle East                1983         1950       +1.7                22501          24266       -7.3
Total                                10429        10806       -3.5               126515         136772       -7.5
Passenger load factor (%)
UK/Europe                             61.8         61.0       +0.8 pts             66.9           62.6       +4.3 pts
Americas                              69.9         72.6       -2.7 pts             73.3           72.0       +1.3 pts
Asia Pacific                          74.8         78.1       -3.3 pts             77.4           73.2       +4.2 pts
Africa and Middle East                76.1         75.8       +0.3 pts             71.2           70.8       +0.4 pts
Total                                 70.0         71.6       -1.6 pts             72.1           69.8       +2.3 pts
Revenue tonne km (RTK) (m)
Cargo tonne km (CTK)                   323          321       +0.9                 3850           3658       +5.3
Total RTK                             1051         1089       -3.5                12972          13203       -1.8
Available tonne km (m)                1589         1649       -3.6                19430          20778       -6.5
Overall load factor (%)               66.1         66.1       +0.0 pts             66.8           63.5       +3.3 pts

Certain information included in this statement is forward-looking and involves
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those expressed or implied by the forward looking statements.


Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, projections relating to
results of operations and financial conditions and the Company's plans and
objectives for future operations, including, without limitation, discussions of
the Company's 'Future Size and Shape' programme, expected future revenues,
financing plans and expected expenditures and divestments. All forward-looking
statements in this report are based upon information known to the Company on the
date of this report. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or
revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.


It is not reasonably possible to itemise all of the many factors and specific
events that could cause the Company's forward looking statements to be incorrect
or that could otherwise have a material adverse effect on the future operations
or results of an airline operating in the global economy. Information on some
factors which could result in material difference to the results is available in
the Company's SEC filings, including, without limitation the Company's Report on
Form 20-F for the year ended March 2002.


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