Staff across the airline are preparing for BA’s biggest-ever operation this Christmas, when the airline is expected to carry some 2.7 million customers over the festive period.
On December 25, 267 flights flown by 817 pilots will be making their way around the airline’s network delivering loved ones.
The 3,500 cabin crew working on Christmas Day will serve customers more than 37,000 turkey dinners and traditional mince pies, as well as popping thousands of champagne corks.
And staff working in the Heathrow lounges will be helping to serve customers with more than 4,500 mince pies around the galleries, over 600 bottles of champagne in the three days prior to Christmas and 216 litres of mulled wine.
A carefully curated selection of TV programmes and the holiday blockbuster ‘Home Alone’, have been chosen to get the festivities in full swing. From Boxing Day, customers will also be able to watch the annual Queen’s address.
Audio albums on board include ‘Advent Calendar’ by The Choir of Somerville College, Oxford, belting out traditional carols including; The Twelve days of Christmas, Silent Night and In the Bleak Mid-Winter.
Staff based at UK and overseas airports will also be working hard to ensure the airline’s operations run as smoothly as possible.
More than 100 Winter Operations staff members will be on stand-by at the airport, with around 250,000 litres of de-icing fluid on hand in case the weather turns.
The busiest day for people jetting around the globe with the airline will be Friday, December 19, with 129,000 people flying. Approximately 60,000 bags will be checked-in by BA customers at Heathrow.
The top destinations for a Christmas break are Dubai, Barbados, New York, Australia and Barcelona.
The airline will be making the most of the festive period, advertising with a special Christmas banner at Heathrow and Gatwick.