May Traffic Statistics

British Airways PLC
5 June 2001


                  TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS - MAY 2001

Summary of the headline figures

Capacity in May, measured in Available Seat Kilometres, was 10.5 per cent
below May 2000. Traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres, fell 14.6
per cent. The reduction in traffic comprised an 11.0 per cent decline in
premium traffic and a 15.3 per cent fall in non-premium traffic. Passenger
load factor of 65.1 per cent was 3.2 points lower than May 2000. Cargo,
measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres, fell by 7.6 per cent.


Market conditions

As indicated in April and in the year end results presentation, trading in May
has been broadly similar to April. The slower US economy, foot and mouth and
our computer outages have taken their toll on passenger numbers and revenue.
The new Club World flat bed continues to perform well.


Highlights

British Airways announced the successor for Derek Stevens, the Group's Chief
Financial Officer, who will retire from the airline this autumn. Mr Stevens
will hand over his role to John Rishton who currently holds the position of
Financial Controller, Commercial, at British Airways. John will become Chief
Financial Officer Designate until he takes up his new appointment as Chief
Financial Officer on September 1, 2001, when he will also join the Board of
British Airways.




British Airways announced the retirement of Captain Mike Jeffery, Director of
Flight Operations, after 35 years with the company. Captain Jeffery will leave
at the end of June and will be succeeded by his deputy, Lloyd Cromwell
Griffiths. British Airways also announced the retirement on 30 September 2001
of Captain Colin Barnes from the British Airways' Board, after 10 years as a
non-executive director. It is intended that Mike Jeffery will join the Board
in October and replace Colin Barnes as Chairman of the Safety Review
Committee.


Strategic developments

British Airways announced that its deal to acquire British Regional Air Lines
Group (BRAL) has been declared wholly unconditional. BRAL's operations will be
combined with those of Brymon Airways, and in time both names will be replaced
by British Airways CitiExpress.


British Airways and Iberia notified the European Union of their plans to
deepen their co-operation. The partners want to work together widely across
the South Atlantic in areas including code-sharing more widely across each
other's networks, developing flying schedules jointly, establishing joint fare
products for these routes and liaising closely on sales activities.


British Airways confirmed that it will sign up to the Airline Passenger
Service Commitment (APSC). The APSC is a voluntary code of practice that
commits signatory airlines to provide clearly defined minimum standards of
service and sales information to air travellers.


Designer Julien MacDonald has been chosen to design a new uniform for more
than 30,000 British Airways staff.



June 5, 2001


BRITISH AIRWAYS MONTHLY TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS

                             Month of May            Financial year to date
                                                       April through May
BRITISH AIRWAYS                          Change                     Change
SCHEDULED SERVICES           2001   2000    (%)        2001    2000    (%)
Passengers carried (000)
UK/Europe                    2350   2491   -5.6        4606    4821   -4.5
Americas                      582    729  -20.2        1163    1453  -20.0
Asia Pacific                  134    177  -24.1         287     370  -22.4
Africa and Middle East        214    216   -0.8         452     462   -2.2
Total                        3280   3613   -9.2        6507    7105   -8.4
Revenue passenger km (m)
UK/Europe                    1962   2070   -5.2        3861    4038   -4.4
Americas                     3958   4986  -20.6        7926    9907  -20.0
Asia Pacific                 1332   1731  -23.1        2844    3601  -21.0
Africa and Middle East       1450   1406   +3.1        3055    3013   +1.4
Total                        8702  10193  -14.6       17686   20560  -14.0
Available seat km (m)
UK/Europe                    3110   3177   -2.1        6104    6166   -1.0
Americas                     5765   6801  -15.2       11384   13269  -14.2
Asia Pacific                 2092   2498  -16.2        4184    4960  -15.6
Africa and Middle East       2400   2453   -2.2        4719    4855   -2.8
Total                       13368  14929  -10.5       26391   29250   -9.8
Passenger load factor (%)
UK/Europe                    63.1   65.2   -2.1 pts    63.2    65.5   -2.3 pts
Americas                     68.7   73.3   -4.6 pts    69.6    74.7   -5.1 pts
Asia Pacific                 63.6   69.3   -5.7 pts    68.0    72.6   -4.6 pts
Africa and Middle East       60.4   57.3   +3.1 pts    64.7    62.1   +2.6 pts
Total                        65.1   68.3   -3.2 pts    67.0    70.3   -3.3 pts
Revenue tonne km (RTK) (m)
Cargo tonne km (CTK)          377    408   -7.6         724     785   -7.7
Total RTK                    1240   1423  -12.9        2475    2831  -12.6
Available tonne km (m)       2027   2167   -6.5        3993    4235   -5.7
Overall load factor (%)      61.2   65.6   -4.4 pts    62.0    66.8   -4.8 pts



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