BA drafts in volunteers to tackle T5 baggage mountain

More than 400 volunteers from across the airline have been trying to relieve a massive luggage backlog at Heathrow's Terminal 5.

British Airways' effort to return 15,000 lost bags to their owners came after the disastrous opening of the £4.3 million new building last Thursday which saw baggage system problems and flights delayed or cancelled over the weekend.

The airline had to use hundreds of volunteer staff as part-time baggage handlers at T5 at the weekend and bring in IT specialists to fix the malfunctioning luggage system.

BA faces the prospect of multi-million pound compensation claims from disrupted passengers and the likely loss of £20 million due to the cancellation of more than 200 flights, according to reports.

Dubai plans low-cost airline

The Dubai Government has unveiled plans to launch a low-cost carrier to cater to the growing budget travel market in the U.A.E., according to state-owned Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The airline, which as yet has no name, will be initially supported by Emirates Group during the set-up period and will serve destinations within four and a half hours of Dubai.

The new carrier will be headed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, chairman of Emirates Group, and is expected to start operations within a year.

The U.A.E. already has one low-cost airline, Sharjah-based Air Arabia.

Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 unveiled

Terminal 5 was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II in a ceremony on Friday. It is scheduled to open to passengers on 27 March 2008 and will be the new home of British Airways. The first to use the new terminal will be a BA flight 26 from Hong Kong, while flight 302 to Paris will be the first flight departure from the Terminal 5.

The £4.3 billion complex features 60 new aircraft stands, 2 satellite buildings, rail links to London Underground and Heathrow Express, a new multi-storey car park and landscaping.

BAA says the new terminal is set to help transform the passenger experience at Heathrow, and relieve the immense pressure on the airport by handling up to 35 million passengers a year.

Watch video from Heathrow Terminal 5:

Rolls Royce engines to power Virgin Dreamliners

Virgin Atlantic has selected Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft fleet. The £1.3 billion deal, announced by Virgin Chairman Richard Branson in New York, includes 15 sets of installed Derby-built engines which will be delivered in 2011. Virgin currently uses General Electric engines on its Boeing 747 jumbos, so this is a big win for the UK engine maker.

Branson said the Rolls Royce engines would help cut emissions by nearly 30% per flight, which equates to an equivalent reduction in carbon emissions per passenger.

Virgin has 15 firm orders for 787s, worth £1.4 billion, plus further eight options and 20 purchase rights. Deliveries are due from 2011, but may be delayed as Boeing struggles to put the first few 787s together for test flights.