Executive Summary
Reliable engineering, efficient operations and responsible resource use are essential to keeping British Airways moving.
Drawing on more than three decades of operational knowledge, OCS combines specialist engineering expertise with performance measurement to identify opportunities across the airline’s facilities and in-flight services. From energy consumption to waste management, that understanding informs practical improvements that reduce resource use while maintaining the standards aviation demands.
Continuous Improvement in Numbers
Performance data is helping British Airways reduce energy use, remove plastic and improve recycling across its operations.
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25%
Less Energy per Kilogram of Laundry Processed
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97MT
Polyethylene Removed From Operation
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70%
Reduction in Plastic Use Across Head Office
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58%
Increase in Recycling Rates Across Head Office
The Challenge
British Airways relies on specialist ground support equipment, tooling and engineering assets that must be maintained, inspected and ready when needed.
Its Central Way facility near Heathrow also processes approximately 73 million in flight items annually, operating to strict Civil Aviation Authority requirements.
Across these services, the opportunity was to improve resource efficiency and environmental performance while maintaining the reliability and standards essential to aviation operations.
The Solution
OCS combines long standing operational knowledge with performance measurement to understand where improvements will deliver the greatest value.
More than three decades of engineering experience support the maintenance of specialist assets at Heathrow. That knowledge is shared across the team, helping colleagues recognise recurring issues, understand maintenance requirements and maintain service continuity.
The Central Way team measures energy consumption per kilogram of laundry, providing a consistent benchmark for efficiency. This insight has informed changes to washing and rinsing processes, water recycling, heat recovery, lighting and steam usage.
Packaging was also reviewed, leading to the replacement of single use plastic with paper alternatives for selected in flight products.
A separate review of waste arrangements at British Airways’ head office identified annual use of approximately 78,000 plastic bin bags. OCS introduced dedicated waste streams and bins made from 80% recycled materials, supporting improved recycling and lower plastic consumption.
Best Outcomes
British Airways can maintain reliable aviation services while reducing resource consumption across its operations. Combining operational knowledge with performance data helps identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce waste and support the airline’s environmental commitments.
