Latest news with #ThomasWoldbye
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' This embedded content is not available in your region. Credit: X/ @Zain_018 Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.' A Heathrow spokesman said: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Heathrow boss who slept through airport fire shut-down should never have had phone on silent, says rival airline chief
The boss of Heathrow who was unaware of that a substation fire shut down one of the world's busiest airports should 'never' have had his phone on silent, according to an airline chief. A review into the fire which took place on March 20 into March 21 and disrupted more than 200,000 passenger journeys found that the airport's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, had been called when the fire broke out but did not answer his phone. The Kelly Review concluded that Mr Woldbye's phone was muted 'without him being aware' and that he only knew of the fire at 6.45am - more than seven hours after it broke out at 11.20pm. Chief operating officer Javier Echave attempted to call his boss 'several times' during the night and raised an F24 alarm to activate emergency command response teams, but did not hear back. As detailed in the 75-page report, Mr Woldbye - who was paid more than £3million last year - said he felt 'deep regret' at not being contactable during the incident. But Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said he would 'never' have made the same mistake when speaking today at an industry event, as first reported by The Telegraph. Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' The Virgin boss added that Heathrow should begin compensating airlines for the cost of the shutdown in the wake of the Kelly Review. Emirates Airline chief Sir Tim Clark also said he was 'shocked' by Heathrow's 'floundering' response to the fire, adding that Emirates 'never close their eyes' to such problems potentially arising. Meanwhile International Air Transport Association CEO Willie Walsh said the shutdown of Heathrow showed Britain to be 'vulnerable' under Labour leadership. A Heathrow spokesman told MailOnline: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' The report was led by former Labour Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and concluded that closing the airport was the 'correct' and 'essential' decision. Ms Kelly said the fire at the North Hyde substation had been 'unprecedented' and that waiting until March 22 to fully re-open was wise, given that safety checks needed to be carried out before full service could resume. 'The evidence confirms that Heathrow made the right decisions in exceptionally difficult circumstances,' she said in a statement accompanying the report. 'Whilst the disruption was significant, alternative choices on the day would not have materially changed the outcome. 'The airport had contingency plans in place, and the report highlights that further planned investment in energy resilience will be key to reducing the impact of any similar events in the future.' The shutdown of the substation prompted questions over why Heathrow was not prepared to cope in the event of a total power loss and why it took 18 hours for power to be fully restored. But the report revealed that the power loss crippled vital safety systems and infrastructure including an airport fire station. Security staff in Terminal 2 had to use the torches on their phones to see at night because of the total loss of power. The report revealed that the power loss crippled vital safety systems and infrastructure including an airport fire station London Fire Brigade officers also told Heathrow they would not be able to safely bring the fire under control for at least six hours. Interim findings published by the National Energy System Operator earlier this month found power was restored to a chaos-stricken Heathrow around seven hours before flights were allowed to resume. The electricity was switched back on for all four terminals - Terminal One no longer being in use - at 10.56am on March 21, almost 12 hours after the fire broke out. Heathrow said the report raises 'important questions' for National Grid - which owns the substation that caught fire - and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which is responsible for power distribution in the area. In all, 1,273 flights were disrupted by the near-24-hour closure with economists estimating that the fire cost the UK up to £4.8million in lost tourism alone. But not a single Heathrow employee interviewed for the review disagreed with the decision to close. While the review was largely positive about the airport's response to the fire, Ms Kelly issued 28 recommendations for Heathrow to consider. They include firming up relations with SSEN - which is responsible for local power distribution - as well as ensuring emergency lighting is in place across terminals, and assessing whether to invest in additional back-up generators. There is also a recommendation to have a 'second means of contact' for key individuals, such as CEO Mr Woldbye. Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said after the report: 'The Kelly Review is thorough with clear recommendations which the management team will be taking forward. 'This was an unprecedented set of circumstances, but the learnings identified in the Kelly Review will make Heathrow more fit for the future.'
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' Credit: X/ @Zain_018 Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.' A Heathrow spokesman said: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
18 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Airlines expect compensation Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.'
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The sleeping Heathrow boss proves we're a nation led by donkeys
It was one of the more astonishing admissions of the week: 'Sorry lads, my phone was on silent.' Or, as the Kelly Review, published on Wednesday, put it: ' Mr Woldbye expressed to us his deep regret at not being contactable during the night of the incident.' The apology nestles in a 75-page report authored by Ruth Kelly, the former transport secretary, who examined the circumstances relating to the closure of Heathrow Airport on March 21. It's an impressively speedy job, with most inquiries of this nature usually waiting for the protagonists to die – or, at best, until their memories have long faded and the events have been massaged into a Netflix documentary – to be concluded. Yet here is a report published while the senior folk of one of the largest and busiest airports in Europe are still firmly in post. And clinging on for dear life – especially the chief executive, Thomas Woldbye. Indeed he has been vexed at the idea that he acted in any way other than exemplary over the 18-hour shutdown of Heathrow that resulted in the cancellation of 1,300 flights and affected some 270,000 passengers. The day after the shutdown, the Danish businessman even told Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that, in relation to the actions and decisions of Heathrow and related parties, he was 'proud of the entire ecosystem'. Pride being the most plausible emotion for him to express because, when the decision was taken to press the Heathrow off-button, Woldbye was asleep. Which for a Dane strikes me as a peculiarly British reaction, albeit with firm roots in the comedy of Captain Mainwaring of Dad's Army or Blackadder 's General Melchett. Our hero, Woldbye, as you can read on page 36 of the report (section 14, subsection 3), 'first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on 21 March, and received a debrief from Mr Echave [Heathrow's chief operating officer]'. 'Fine work, man,' he might have said. 'Now, what's going on?' And, famously, it was not for want of trying to get hold of Woldbye during the night. In fact, what is known in the trade as the most 'critical event communication platform that provides information and sends alerts through all available communication channels', an F24 alarm was issued at 00.21. This is the technical equivalent of a cold bucket of water being thrown in your face, a gong being struck by your ear, a jumping up and down on Daddy at dawn. There was another F24 sent at 01.52, this one activating Gold (harder slaps around the chops, cries of 'wake up, you idiot!') and Echave, also we learn, 'attempted to call Mr Woldbye several times during the early hours'. Except Woldbye's mobile, albeit on his bedside table, was on silent. Or, as the report states, 'the phone had gone into a silent mode, without him being aware it had done so'. That's right, the man in charge of Heathrow – an airport that uses the most sophisticated technology available to run and protect a place with planes departing and landing every 45 seconds – has a phone that, completely of its own accord, jumps into 'do not disturb' mode. Perhaps the man whose most recent annual take-home pay was £3.2 million needs a second phone. Or how about an old-school landline with a trilling bell on it? We Brits are, quite clearly, lions led by donkeys. Incompetence seems key to the skill set in running either a large company or indeed government. There are, for example, the civil servants of the Department for Business and Trade who, in the face of colossal public pressure and moral finger-wagging, continue to resist fully compensating the likes of Sir Alan Bates for the Horizon IT system scandal. Last weekend he revealed that he had been offered a 'take it or leave it' offer of 49.2 per cent of his original claim. The compensation scheme, Sir Alan said, had become 'quasi-kangaroo courts in which the Department for Business and Trade sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses'. Or, consider the major water companies presiding over the effluent that pollutes our rivers. Earlier this month, Chris Weston, the CEO of Thames Water – Britain's biggest water company; a firm with massive debts, outdated infrastructure and more leaks and spills than the Titanic – admitted that senior managers had been in line for substantial bonuses courtesy of a privately financed £3 billion rescue-plan loan. Following pressure from Environment Secretary Steve Reed, Weston's spokesperson then announced that payments had been 'paused'. Yet, as The Guardian reported, Thames Water 'declined to answer questions about whether any of the retention package has already been paid'. High Court judge Mr Justice Leech, in relation to an £800 million cost to be spent on interest and advisers for the debt deal, said: 'Customers and residents who are struggling with their bills will be horrified at these costs and mystified how the Thames Water Group has been able to fund them or why it has agreed to do so.' Ponder, too, on those who run Royal Mail, increasing prices while presiding over terminal decline of their services, and the pen-pushing ninnies of our councils conjuring up safety costs that are wrecking traditional country street fairs and festivals. Indeed, just look to the politicians who run our country. We have a Chancellor in Rachel Reeves who claims to support hospitality while actually savaging it with increases in National Insurance Contributions for employers, and a Secretary of State for Education gleefully manifesting over a VAT policy that is closing down private schools.
