Losing It At HeathRow Airport
IT’S HeathROW Airport as Terminal 5 crashes and burns.
The debut is a “disaster” says the Sun on its front page.
The Mail takes it personally and leads with “TERMINAL DISGRACE – Luggage check-ins axed. Bags lost. Escalators paralysed. 34 flights cancelled… and it’s just Day One at the £4.3billion Terminal Five.” It’s a “national disgrace”.
Can Heathrow top that on Day 2?
And what coincidence that the turmoil occurs when French President Sarkozy is making his way home, or trying to? Is this all some dastardly plan to exact revenge on so many blockaded ferry ports, burning sheep and airport strikes that have done down the British traveller?
If it is, then passengers might be more forgiving, cheer, even.
Tony Pascoe, 35, from Witney, Oxfordshire, is talking to the Independent. Says he: “None of the desks were open and we were told to stand in a queue. After standing there for God knows how long they opened one and people who had just walked into the terminal began jumping in. It was chaotic. Everyone who had been queuing were annoyed and a lot of jostling and arguing started. Then the desk just crashed so everyone was stood there.”
In the Guardian, it was all to be expected, after all Terminal Five is the size of 50 football pitches, and, given that so many holidaymakers travel replica kits, crowd action was unavoidable.
“It was shambolic, but totally predictable,” says one BA “handler, a veteran of several previous Heathrow meltdowns, who insisted on anonymity for fear of dismissal.” He goes on: “Before the opening we were shown round on four ‘familiarisation’ days, which were more like guided tours of our wonderful new home, rather than actual, hands-on training days. We were ready to grit our teeth for a tough day but this was ridiculous.”
Congratulations to the Guardian’s reporter on locating a disgruntled employee, and to the Mail on bringing its readers the headline: “No one had the faintest idea of what the hell is was all going wrong.”
But not to worry the Blitz spirit will see us through. If the planes can get through, that is…
Posted: 28th, March 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Money, Tabloids Comments (10) | TrackBack | Permalink
