"This can work - deportations have been stopped when airlines have refused to take people. "

Has BA ever refused to take anyone for that reason ?
I can see why this works with normal companies that care about their image - but BA ? Aren't they the airline that handed over a planeful of passengers to Saddam Hussien in Kuwait just to infiltrate an SAS team ?

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_149#Investigation

I can remember back in the 80's some passenger, a soldier, had been treated poorly by BA some minor way and he created a media fuss. BA then hired private security thugs to make this guys life a misery - beating him up, ruining his life financially, bugging his home etc, but were eventually exposed. I can't find any links to that but it was mainstream news at the time. Anyone else remember that ?



Anyway, that is criticism of BA not the deportee so I'll make ammends for my cynicism by putting my dial back down to 2 and phoning and emailing the shits anyway.

I've been trying since I wrote that to contact BA by phone. I wait to speak to an operator and each time they say their machine says are experiencing unusually high numbers of calls, please check the website or call back later, and then it hangs up.

I feel I have no option but to phone their booking lines which remarkably still seem to have plenty of operators available.

I eventually spoke to a rather unaware BA staff employeee who claimed that without legal deportation papers AND a valid passport then she would not be allowed on the flight.

I know that isn't true as people get deported without passports all the time but arguing with the guy didn't help since he had to keep popping away to ask his supervisor. I said I'd phone back tommorow to check on the case.

With the best will in the world, I am really skeptical that petitioning the establishment for decency ever works except when the mainstream get involved. I realise this is the end of a campaign not the start, and that the suggested tactics are out of desperation. I know how to delay the flight, but not stop the deportation.

Contacting airlines can work, the captain has jurisdiction on the plane and can refuse to fly people, it happens occasionally, You have to insist they get a message to the pilot. It is really hard getting in touch to the right people though. Email, fax and phone numbers for the airline staff at the relevant terminal are useful but not easily come by, especially in the stress of a last minute attempt to stop a deportation, I guess. I'd urge anyone to phone and support these call outs however frustrating it may be. I really hope Rose is OK and BA haven't facilitated another removal, they make millions out of doing the Home Office's filthy work. Good Luck

Dear Willy Walsh,

It has been brought to my attention that Rose Abukha, a Ugandan human rights activist, was due to be deported to Entebbe last night on Flight BA0063. Your custmoer service staff refused to confirm whether that had happened or not 'for security reasons', refusing even to confirm there was a deportation..

I had no idea BA were complicit in forcable deportations. While you cannot be blamed for that, your pilots may have just delivered Rose back to the people who tortured her and murdered her brother. My extended family fly worldwide with BA often but have decided to use other airlines in future. Please email me if and when BA cease this practice so that we can resume business with you.

best regards,