March traffic statistics

British Airways PLC
05 April 2006





TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS - March 2006



Summary of the headline figures



In March 2006, passenger capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres, was
2.5 per cent above March 2005.  Traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger
Kilometres, was higher by 1.8 per cent.  This resulted in a passenger load
factor down 0.5 points versus last year, to 75.2 per cent.  The increase in
traffic comprised a 15 per cent increase in premium traffic and a 0.4 per cent
decrease in non-premium traffic.  Cargo, measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres,
rose by 3.5 per cent.   Overall load factor fell by 0.2 points to 70.5 per cent.



The timing of Easter this year has benefited premium volumes and reduced
non-premium volumes in March. This effect will reverse next month



For the January to March quarter, ASKs rose by 2.8 per cent, with RPKs rising by
2.9 per cent.  This resulted in an increase in passenger load factor of 0.1
points, to 73.1 per cent.  This comprised a 10.1per cent increase in premium
traffic and a 1.6 per cent increase in non-premium traffic.  CTKs rose by 0.9
per cent.



Market conditions



Market conditions remain broadly unchanged as significant promotional activity
is required to maintain seat factors.





Strategic Developments



The company announced a proposal to clear the £1 billion past service actuarial
deficit in its New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS). The proposal is based on a
final salary pension scheme with no changes to past service benefits or staff
contribution rates but with changes to members' future benefits. The airline
will make a payment of £500 million into NAPS after the changes are accepted.



The airline announced its two year business plan to March 2008 to drive down
costs and strengthen customer service. It is targeting a £450 million reduction
in costs with £225 to be delivered in each year. It also included investment of
nearly £200 million in new products.



BA announced the restructure of parts of its UK direct sales operations with the
proposed closure of British Airways' Travel Shops and the airline's Belfast
based customer call centre by August 2006. The move comes in response to
changing customer behaviour and increased sales on its ba.com website.



The summer 2006 schedule was announced with British Airways' first ever flights
to Tirana in Albania and Varna on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast.  Four other new
destinations from London Gatwick airport include Reykjavik in Iceland, Izmir in
Turkey, Kiev in the Ukraine and Athens, Greece.



The airline announced a series of service enhancements to be introduced ahead of
its move into Heathrow airport's Terminal 5. The first change will be launched
from April 25, when the airline introduces self-service check-in for all
customers travelling on UK domestic flights.



Customers planning to visit the United States from March 7 are being urged to
input relevant data on ba.com or via their travel agent to comply with the new
Advanced Passenger Information (API), introduced for all passengers flying to
the US.



                                      ends



April 5, 2006                                                        028/TC/06




               BRITISH AIRWAYS MONTHLY TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS


                                                 Month of March                      Financial year
                                                                                  April through to March
BRITISH AIRWAYS                                          Change                                   Change
SCHEDULED SERVICES                    2005       2004       (%)              2005        2004        (%)
Passengers carried (000)
UK/Europe                             1871       1935      -3.3             23086       23491       -1.7
Americas                               610        615      -0.9              7337        7227       +1.5
Asia Pacific                           166        152      +9.5              1906        1683      +13.3
Africa and Middle East                 294        280      +5.0              3182        3122       +1.9
Total                                 2941       2981      -1.3             35511       35523       -0.0

Revenue passenger km (m)
UK/Europe                             1677       1725      -2.8             21212       21010       +1.0
Americas                              4115       4127      -0.3             49304       48368       +1.9
Asia Pacific                          1702       1582      +7.6             19634       17333      +13.3
Africa and Middle East                2002       1890      +5.9             21554       20938       +2.9
Total                                 9496       9324      +1.8            111704      107649       +3.8

Available seat km (m)
UK/Europe                             2590       2616      -1.0             31587       30995       +1.9
Americas                              5224       5255      -0.6             62674       62227       +0.7
Asia Pacific                          2178       1988      +9.5             25545       23261       +9.8
Africa and Middle East                2635       2463      +7.0             27917       27404       +1.9
Total                                12627      12323      +2.5            147723      143888       +2.7

Passenger load factor (%)
UK/Europe                             64.8       65.9      -1.1 pts          67.2        67.8       -0.6 pts
Americas                              78.8       78.5      +0.3 pts          78.7        77.7       +1.0 pts
Asia Pacific                          78.2       79.6      -1.4 pts          76.9        74.5       +2.4 pts
Africa and Middle East                76.0       76.7      -0.7 pts          77.2        76.4       +0.8 pts
Total                                 75.2       75.7      -0.5 pts          75.6        74.8       +0.8 pts

Revenue tonne km (RTK) (m)
Cargo tonne km (CTK)                   457        442      +3.5              4928        4951       -0.5
Total RTK                             1402       1369      +2.4             16086       15704       +2.4
Available tonne km (m)                1989       1935      +2.8             23076       22528       +2.4

Overall load factor (%)               70.5       70.7      -0.2 pts          69.7        69.7       +0.0 pts



Certain statements included in this statement may be forward-looking and may
involve 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 business and financing plans, expected future revenues and
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.



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