BA in contracts probe

Airline giant launches investigation into marketing executive after supplier contract complaints

British Airways is investigating complaints made against a member of its marketing, communications and information department.

It is understood that the complaints have come from one of the marketing department’s external suppliers and concern the basis on which BA awarded contracts to suppliers.

The airline says it has received complaints from an anonymous source concerning the executive and is invest- igating whether there is any substance in them.

The overall head of department is Martin George, who is director of marketing. George is in no way involved in these complaints.

“As a responsible employer we are obliged to consider such complaints to establish whether there is any foundation in them,” says a spokesman for the airline.

BA’s annual marketing budget runs into tens of millions of pounds and the airline spends about 60m a year on above-the-line advertising alone through M&C Saatchi.

The complaints are not thought to concern an advertising, design or direct marketing agency.

A fortnight ago BA unveiled its redesign (MW June 12), through design agency Newell & Sorrel. The redesign programme cost 2m to develop over the past two years and will cost a further 60m to implement. The airline, which faces the threat of strike action this summer, also intends to invest 6bn in new services, products, aircraft and training over the next three years.

Factfile, page 28