BRITISH AIRWAYS “OPPORTUNITIES GRANT” RECEIVES MAXIMUM ENTRIES FROM INDIA

Final 70 shortlisted, 50 winners to be announced soon

February 16, 2010: British Airways’ has shortlisted the final 70 entries for its flagship Opportunities Grant programme where the airline will give away over Rs. 11,20,35,000/- in flights to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in India.  India with one of the largest SME communities in the world generated one of the highest levels of applications across all markets and more than any other country in Asia.

The scheme is part of the airline’s commitment to help India’s SME community and stimulate local business.  British Airways will go on to announce the 50 winners by Friday, February 19, 2010.  Successful winners will be awarded 10 return British Airways Business Class Tickets to be used in Club World or Club Europe between March 01, 2010 and February 28, 2011. The winners are also eligible for the Regus Prize, which consists of five Regus Businessworld gold cards valid for 12 months.

Judy Jarvis, British Airways’ regional commercial manager, South Asia said, “The interest and level of applications for the Opportunities Grant has been fantastic.  Applications have come in from almost every business sector – from across the country, and not just from the main metros. Each shortlisted application has put forward a compelling case to grow through travel and this is exactly what we set out to achieve when we rolled out the programme across India last year.”

“The judging process which, has on its panel industry bodies like Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Confederation of British Industries (CBI) is nearly complete and we look forward to announcing the winners as early as next week on February 19, 2010.”

The British Airways Business Opportunity Grants programme was launched in November 2009 with support from cricketer Mr. Sourav Ganguly, Dr. Indu Shahani, the Sheriff of Mumbai, prominent businessman, Mr. Suhel Seth and industry bodies CII and CBI.  The scheme was simultaneously launched in the U.S. and U.K., Hong Kong, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.  SMEs across India were invited to submit a short business case to qualify for the grant. The 50 winners of the grant would have the opportunity to travel across the British Airways network as business travelers and a chance to grow their businesses beyond India.

The Opportunities Grants programme was created after a recent Harvard Business Review Analytical Services study revealed that 95% of leading international businesspeople said they believe that face-to-face meetings are the key to success in building and maintaining long term relationships, and 89% agree face-to-face meetings are essential for “sealing the deal.”

For further information, please contact:
Dirk Lewis or Nalini Neha, Fleishman Hillard Mumbai:  telephone +91 022-4077-9103

Notes to Editors:

British Airways is covering the cost of the fare; winning companies are responsible for paying taxes, fees and charges.

Whether it’s a sit-down appointment with a potential client, buyer, investor or a visit to an office that has not been visited because of budget cuts, the programme is designed to help budget-conscious businesses get where they need to go, physically and financially.

A panel of British Airways executives and independent judges, including the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) are reviewing the entries.

Entries closed on January 16, 2010 and winners will be notified on February 19, 2010, if successful.

About British Airways

• British Airways has a worldwide route network that covers more than 150 destinations in 75 countries.
• Last year British Airways celebrated its 9Oth anniversary.
• British Airways is one of the world’s largest international airlines carrying approximately 36 million passengers around the world every year.
• British Airways operates from Terminal 3 and Terminal 5 at London Heathrow.
• The state-of-the-art Terminal 5 is exclusive to the airline’s customers and is capable of handling 30million customers a year.

For further information on British Airways visit ba.com