PR Week Echo Columns

August always seems to get uncomfortably hot for the UK's leading airport operator BAA. In successive years a baggage handlers' strike, security measures brought on by the liquid bomb plot and now the week-long Camp for Climate Change have meant that the busiest month for air travel has spelled misery for travellers, airlines and BAA. A change in ownership to Spanish conglomerate Ferrovial has also led to accusations of underinvestment and poor customer service, not least by its own clients BA and Ryanair.

BAA sought "the mother of all injunctions" (according to Greenpeace) in the courts but succeeded in only banning three pressure groups, including Plane Stupid, from the week of action starting on 14th August. This was presented variously as a "win" for BAA (BBC News, 6 Aug) or "the mother of all setbacks" (AirportWatch chairman John Stewart quoted in the Telegraph, 7 Aug). Others piling on the pressure included mayor Ken Livingstone who called BAA's management team "out of their skull" and new city minister Kitty Ussher who said poor customer service "threatened London's status as a world financial centre" (Telegraph, 4 Aug). Protesters, however, rejoiced as "relentless negative press coverage about Heathrow" (Telegraph, 3 Aug) gave added publicity to the protest camp.