Traffic statistics

British Airways PLC
03 June 2005


TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS - May 2005

Summary of the headline figures

In May 2005, passenger capacity, measured in Available Seat Kilometres, was 1.0
per cent above May 2004.  Traffic, measured in Revenue Passenger Kilometres, was
higher by 3.2 per cent.  This resulted in a passenger load factor up 1.6 points
versus last year, to 73.2 per cent.  The increase in traffic comprised a 4.2 per
cent increase in premium traffic and a 3.0 per cent increase in non-premium
traffic.  Cargo, measured in Cargo Tonne Kilometres, fell by 7.5 per cent.
Overall load factor fell by 0.2 points to 67.7 per cent.


Market conditions


Market conditions remain broadly unchanged. For the year to March 2006, total
revenue is expected to improve by 4 - 5 per cent.


Strategic Developments


British Airways reported a pre-tax profit of £415 million for the year (2004:
£230 million profit) including a pre-tax profit of £5 million for the fourth
quarter (2004: £45 million profit).  Operating profit for the year was £540
million (2004: £405 million profit) and £40 million for the fourth quarter
(2004: £32 million profit). Net debt at £2.9 billion fell by £1.2 billion during
the year, its lowest level since 1993.  Seat factors were at record levels, but
yield, down 4.4 per cent for the year, was down for the third year running.  The
airline achieved a 6.9 per cent operating margin, its best since 1997.


British Airways announced changes to its board of directors subject to
shareholder approval at the AGM on July 19, 2005. Dr Ashok Ganguly and Lord
Renwick of Clifton, having served on the board for nine years, will not stand
for re-election. Captain Mike Jeffery, who as a former employee of the company
cannot be considered as independent under the new Combined Code, will not stand
for re-election.  The company also announced that Mike Street OBE, director of
customer service and operations, is to retire in September, 2005.



British Airways' commercial director, Martin George, is being recommended by the
board for election by shareholders at the annual general meeting in July as a
director. The Right Honourable the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean and Ken Smart
CBE are also being recommended by the board to serve as non-executive directors
of the company.  Baroness Symons was Minister of State at the Foreign Office and
Deputy Leader of the House of Lords until May 2005. Prior to being made a life
peer in 1996, she was general secretary of the Association of First Division
Civil Servants.  Ken Smart, who is to succeed Mike Jeffery as chairman of the
airline's safety review committee, was the UK's Chief Inspector of Air Accidents
and Head of the Department for Transport's Air Accidents Investigation Branch
(AAIB) until he retired in April 2005.



Thousands of British Airways' flights went on sale in May with savings of up to
£326 to over 60 destinations worldwide for travel in May, June, July and August.
Prices started from £299 for a return flight to New York (saving £164), £369 to
Los Angeles (saving £154) and £399 to Hong Kong (saving £114).



British Airways won two awards at the 2005 OAG awards ceremony in London based
on votes polled by a worldwide audience of business travellers. They were the
Best Airline Based in Western Europe and Best Transatlantic Airline awards.



British Airways received an award in recognition of its corporate responsibility
activity in the London borough of Hillingdon. The airline supports many projects
in the local community, particularly in the five boroughs that surround
Heathrow.

                                      ends


BRITISH AIRWAYS MONTHLY TRAFFIC AND CAPACITY STATISTICS


                                                   Month of May                     Financial year
                                                                                 April through to May
BRITISH AIRWAYS                                          Change                                  Change
SCHEDULED SERVICES                   2005       2004        (%)            2005        2004         (%)
Passengers carried (000)
UK/Europe                            2030       2051       -1.0            3953        4073        -2.9
Americas                              635        621       +2.3            1258        1253        +0.4
Asia Pacific                          133        120      +10.1             273         251        +8.7
Africa and Middle East                225        228       -1.3             464         473        -1.8
Total                                3023       3021       +0.1            5947        6049        -1.7

Revenue passenger km (m)
UK/Europe                            1903       1823       +4.4            3656        3611        +1.2
Americas                             4247       4170       +1.8            8405        8360        +0.5
Asia Pacific                         1374       1246      +10.3            2817        2597        +8.5
Africa and Middle East               1513       1520       -0.4            3112        3136        -0.8
Total                                9037       8758       +3.2           17991       17705        +1.6

Available seat km (m)
UK/Europe                            2796       2655       +5.3            5481        5224        +4.9
Americas                             5393       5404       -0.2           10648       10627        +0.2
Asia Pacific                         1994       1906       +4.6            3923        3748        +4.7
Africa and Middle East               2160       2260       -4.4            4272        4482        -4.7
Total                               12344      12226       +1.0           24324       24081        +1.0

Passenger load factor (%)
UK/Europe                            68.0       68.6       -0.6 pts        66.7        69.1        -2.4 pts
Americas                             78.7       77.2       +1.5 pts        78.9        78.7        +0.2 pts
Asia Pacific                         68.9       65.4       +3.5 pts        71.8        69.3        +2.5 pts
Africa and Middle East               70.0       67.2       +2.8 pts        72.8        70.0        +2.8 pts
Total                                73.2       71.6       +1.6 pts        74.0        73.5        +0.5 pts

Revenue tonne km (RTK) (m)
Cargo tonne km (CTK)                  401        434       -7.5             795         823        -3.4
Total RTK                            1303       1295       +0.6            2585        2568        +0.7
Available tonne km (m)               1925       1907       +0.9            3799        3765        +0.9

Overall load factor (%)              67.7       67.9       -0.2 pts        68.1        68.2        -0.1 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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