Cost-cutting British Airways bosses let planes take off after a ‘light clean’ and without emptying the TOILET waste-tanks
BA crew members are paid an extra £10 if they do a quick clean between departures
COST-cutting British Airways bosses are letting planes take-off with just a “light clean” and toilet waste-tanks unemptied.
Crew members are being paid an extra £10 if they give the plane a quick tidy before departure, saving cash on paying contracted cleaners.
The money-saving trial on Gatwick flights also means a jet’s sewage tank is not always emptied. Instead they fly if it is up to a third full.
In addition BA planes can now depart with just 50 per cent levels of drinkable water used for making tea and coffee.
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BA pays millions to contract out its aircraft cleaning, and asking crew to perform a “light clean” would save a fortune. But one senior BA source said: “The idea is to see whether passengers notice the planes are not as clean as normal.
“They clearly consider this a potential permanent move. If BA can get away with it, this will be introduced elsewhere.
“Planes will be dirtier if they fly without a full clean. It’s remarkable that BA is prepared to take-off with toilets a third full of waste already.”
Another worker said: “BA’s chief Alex Cruz seems to be turning the airline into a low cost carrier while still charging premium prices.”
Airlines like BA seek high customer service levels while needing to boost profits by cramming more and more people on board and minimising the time between flights.
Cleaning passenger jets as efficiently as possible involves plenty of planning, staffing, logistics and high priority targets.
Short-haul flights typically return to the skies quickly – so there’s less time to clean these planes than those used for international flights.
Under those circumstances the plane receives a basic clean, with the focus on premium-paying first and business class cabins rather than economy.
Major airlines deep-cleans jets after approximately 500 hours of flight, or about once a month.
If waste tanks fill completely the lavatory has to be closed, and flight crew have to deal with unhappy passengers, as well as potential odour issues.
Cleaning and disinfecting the inside of a lavatory requires special products, and usually takes less than 10 minutes per lavatory.
International airline association IATA recommends to its members that toilets should always be kept “totally clean”.
Last night British Airways told The Sun: “In the rare event that cleaners are delayed, our Gatwick cabin crew can carry out light cleaning of the cabin to ensure flights depart on time.
“This flexibility has been in place for many years and helps us keep our flights punctual.”