ABSTRACT
In early 2008, a British Airways’ Boeing 777, flying from Beijing to London, crash landed at Heathrow Airport. Remarkably there were neither fatalities nor serious injuries. The 152 crew and passengers escaped with minimal minor injuries. Willie Walsh, CEO of BA, praised his staff for their calm and orderly management. The happy outcome appeared to reflect the results of much training and simulation, an acid test of the efficacy of all the planning that had gone on before. Passengers later spoke of the calm efficiency of the staff and the speed at which the evacuation took place (BBC, 2008). Further plans swung into action as planes were diverted, priorities allocated, evidence collected and disappointed nonflying passengers directed towards alternative or no arrangements. The apparently smooth operations raised few eyebrows; after all we’ve come to expect effective BCM, even if many organisations still fail to deliver.
