BA poised to axe 5,000 jobs

BRITISH Airways is set to cut 5,000 more jobs in a fresh bid to reduce costs. Chief executive Rod Eddington will give details tomorrow as he unveils a new strategy ahead of key third-quarter results on 10 February.

BA has already slashed 12,000 jobs since the World Trade Center attacks.

This time the axe is likely to fall at its Citi-Express domestic airline and its head office near Heathrow. Insiders claim the company-may also freeze recruitment.

Airlines are only now starting to shrug off the effects of the 9/11 atrocities but BA wants to wipe a further £300m from its cost base over the next two years.

The Evening Standard revealed before Christmas that more job cuts were likely at BA given the enormous competitive pressure from low-cost titans Ryanair and easyJet.