Airline to begin T5 long-haul switch in June

LONDON, England (AP) -- British Airways and airports operator BAA confirmed Friday that they will begin shifting long-haul flights to Heathrow's Terminal 5 in June, with services to and from New York's JFK Airport among the first to transfer.

BA and BAA said that services to and from eight destinations will be switched from Terminal 4 to the new terminal on June 5.

The flights to New York, Abuja, Bangalore, Beijing, Cairo, Cape Town, Lagos and Phoenix represent around a quarter of BA's Terminal 4 schedule.

Moving the flights is the first phase in a transfer program that is expected to take several months.

BA had originally intended to shift all flights from other terminals at the airport to Terminal 5 in just a couple of days at the end of April, but that plan was curtailed by a raft of problems at the new facility that led to hundreds of canceled flights and lost bags.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh confirmed Friday that the move would occur in phases.

"We have taken this decision in the interests of customers, who remain our priority at all times," he said.

"Terminal 5 is now working well, and we are pleased we can confirm our plan to move in some additional flights on June 5."

BAA chief executive Colin Matthews said the pair "continue to work together intensively to complete the migration of the remaining long-haul services as soon as is practicable."

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