LONDON, November 5, 2026 — British Airways is changing who handles passenger complaints that go to arbitration. Separately, one of its Boeing 777s was inspected on a Gatwick taxiway on Tuesday after a flat-tyre warning.
Complaint arbitration: CEDR out, AviationADR in
- Change: BA is not renewing its contract with the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR). New disputes will go to AviationADR (part of Consumer Dispute Resolution Ltd).
- When: the CEDR contract runs until December 31, 2026. Passengers can keep filing new cases with CEDR until then. After that, AviationADR handles new complaints.
- Background: Paddle Your Own Kanoo reports that CEDR ordered BA to pay more than £5 million last year in compensation the airline had first refused. It cites a BA complaints adviser who says CEDR upheld about 73% of BA cases that reached arbitration. AviationADR upheld 37% of Ryanair claims and 24% of easyJet claims, according to the same report.
- BA’s position: BA says the contract was simply up for renewal and there is no immediate change for customers. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has approved both bodies.
BA2044: tyre warning at Gatwick
- Flight: BA2044 Colombo–London Gatwick, Boeing 777-200ER G-YMMT, on November 3, 2026.
- What happened: during descent the crew got a flat-tyre indication and continued the approach, with emergency services on standby. The aircraft landed on runway 08R and stopped on a taxiway for inspection.
- Outcome: the aircraft was back in service about five hours later and left at 21:47 UTC as BA2231 to Bangkok. The incident report does not say which tyre triggered the warning or confirm any damage.
What it means for non-revs
- Family and friends on paid BA tickets: if they have an unresolved delay or cancellation claim, filing with CEDR before December 31, 2026 keeps it with the current body. From January 1, 2027, new cases go to AviationADR.
- Gatwick widebody rotations are tight. BA2044’s aircraft operated the evening Bangkok departure. A five-hour hold on an inbound aircraft can push back the next flight. Check the inbound before you list on long-haul departures from Gatwick.
- BA staff: customer-relations teams should expect AviationADR to handle new escalations from January 2027.
Sources
- Paddle Your Own Kanoo — British Airways is Dumping an Arbitration Service That Made It Pay £5 Million in Compensation in One Year
- Aviation A2Z — British Airways Boeing 777 Pilots Stop on Taxiway After Flat Tyre Warning During Landing
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