British Airways has reiterated the importance of Nigerian pasengers and routes route to its operations, saying Nigeria remains a top priority to it.The word of appreciation was made recently when the airline hosted some of its loyal passengers as part of the celebrations marking its 75 years of flying to Nigeria show appreciation for their support over the years.Speaking at the event, Area General Manager for Europe and Africa, Mr. Gavin Halliday said the celebration was an opportunity for the airline to bond and interact with its partners, as well as foster networking opportunities amongst those present. He expressed pride at the cordial relationship between the airline and its trade partners since its debut in the country 75 years ago, and noted that such support has helped to deliver an excellent level of service to Nigerians.He pointed out that Nigeria remains a top priority to British Airways, saying that the airline regards Nigeria as a strategic market. For this reason, he said, British Airways always places the country at the forefront of its marketing strategies.He said, the new brand campaign which was launched recently is currently running in three countries, including Nigeria. The rest are United Kingdom and the United States, just as the new First cabin can be found on London, New York and Lagos and Abuja routes.Halliday restated British Airways' commitment to continue to lead innovation for customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction, he said, is at the heart of whatever the airline does, and is aptly captured in its new brand campaign theme, 'To Fly. To Serve.'The new brand campaign, he said, signifies much more than an advert, as it represents the opening of a new chapter for British Airways. 'Today this still has real meaning and resonance. It describes our purpose. It encapsulates our flying expertise and commitment to customer service. It puts the customer at the centre of everything we do, and defines the essence of British Airways, namely, our flying know-how, our thoughtful service and our British style.'The campaign, Halliday said, is the guiding principle behind 5 billion the airline is investing over the next five years to improve what it offers its customers. This investment, he disclosed, will include acquisition of three new Boeing 777ERs, A380 aircraft and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The new acquisitions, he said, will be fitted with the new First class, the airline's award-winning Club World, brand new World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins.British Airways, he pointed out, still the only airline with fully flat beds in both the Club and First cabins, with its new First cabin now on 60 per cent of its long-haul fleet, including those on the Lagos-London and Abuja-London routes. And from November this year, he said, the airline will begin the refurbishing of 18 of its Boeing 777-200s which will have all-new cabins. The airline has also upgraded its menu and wine lists across cabins, while also employing the latest technology to provide faster, more efficient, personalised service, including the use of iPads by its senior cabin crew, Halliday said.He admitted that the last decade has been difficult for the airline industry, as air travel has been affected by notable incidents like the 9/11 terror attacks in the United States, followed by severe disruptions caused by pandemics, terror alerts, extreme weather, volcanic ash, political instability in different parts of the world, rising oil prices and global economic recession.Despite all these, he announced, British Airways has returned back to profitability, and in much better shape as a business, with an outstanding operational base at Heathrow's Terminal 5. 'And we have the new strategic strength of our parent company, International Airlines Group, our merger with Iberia and our transatlantic joint business with Iberia and American Airlines,' he said.In her response, Publicity Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs Tinuke Nwakohu thanked British Airways for always appreciating the travel agents in the country. She assured that the agents cooperate with British Airways to achieve customer satisfaction.
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