08/06/2009

The recession is leading airline companies to reappraise the way they look at IT spending, according to a new report.

Computing revealed that British Airways has had to reduce its IT budget by 30 per cent after the worldwide economic downturn hit the firm's profits.

The magazine interviewed IT decision-makers at BA and other airlines to find out how they are addressing the sudden drop in available cash.

Paul Coby, chief information officer at BA, told Computing that the recession could breed creativity and that 'innovation doesn't need to cost billions of pounds'.

He added: 'The app we distributed at the time of the iPhone launch was a perfect example of innovation that costs almost nothing.

'The challenges ahead are all about being more productive with what you have and ensuring continuity of the business; doing a lot more with a lot less.'

BA's iPhone application can be downloaded for free from iTunes and allows users to see real-time information on flights' arrival and departure times, as well as book flights, check in and see flight schedules.