The Challenge

The Operations Leadership Team are taking part in a challenge in the Atlas mountains in aid of Flying Start!

We are taking part in a grueling 5 day trek across the Atlas mountains in Morocco, including climbing to the top of Mount Toubkal at 4,167m! 

For a British Airways Operations Leadership Team you'd think it was just another day in the office.... but it's certainly not for the faint-hearted and we will really be put through our paces whilst attempting to scale the highest peak in North Africa.

This mental and physical challenge consists of navigating very hot and very cold temperatures, rocky as well as sandy terrain and spending two nights in tents!

Please donate what you can to support us and to support Flying Start.

The Operations Leadership Team

Meet our Operations Leadership Team! Each one of the team tells us a little bit about why they have signed up to take on such a huge challenge in aid of Flying Start.

Andrew Colleau, Financial Controller Operations

Hugely excited as despite a fear of edges (rather than heights) I always love spending time in any mountains, but climbing up one and camping (for first time in about 25 years) is definitely a huge challenge and very different to sliding down to a hotel & a fondue.

Fernando Bosch, Director of Operations Decision Support

I'm excited to be joining the British Airways Operations leadership team on a 3-day charity hike in the Atlas Mountains. This challenging trek will push us all outside our comfort zones, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and resilience within the team. It'll be a unique opportunity to connect with colleagues on a deeper level, building trust and communication that will undoubtedly benefit our future collaborations. Personally, I expect this adventure to be a major test of my physical and mental fortitude, and I'm eager to see the personal growth that will come from overcoming those obstacles. Plus, contributing to a worthy cause adds another layer of meaning to the entire experience.

Graeme Conner, Head of Scheduling and Slots

Completely thrilled to be taking part in this challenge, alongside a fantastic group of colleagues. It is so important that we do all we can to raise awareness for Flying Start and help young people who haven’t had the same opportunity in life as many of us. It is a privilege to be involved, now begins the hard work.

 Keith Rose, Director of Fleet Tech Support and Ops Dev

Really excited to be joining the Operations Leadership team on the three-day hike in the Atlas Mountains. This will be a great opportunity to support our Flying Start charity and continue to build on the strong relationships within the team. For me personally a chance to take on a challenge outside of my comfort zone and to build on my relationships with the team outside of a work environment.

Lorna Jeffrey, Senior People Business Partner

Sorry I won’t be there with you all – I’ll be supporting you all from home! Such an exciting adventure and opportunity to raise money for a really good cause. Good luck everyone, you’ll be great!

Louise Street, Director of Worldwide Airports

We are used to (and arguably!) love a challenge in Operations and this one is certainly going to be different to the norm! I am super excited that as a team we will have the opportunity to raise funds for Flying Start, a cause that does so much good in the UK and around the World. Having had foot surgery earlier in the year, I am not yet able to walk long distances, but I shall be throwing myself into other types of training, and if I cannot participate in the hike when the time comes, I will find another challenge that I can do to make sure I am supporting in spirit! #LetsdothisOLT

Naida Sehovic, Director of Operations Planning

I'm really excited to be taking part in this event with my colleagues across Operations. It'll be a really tough challenge, but given all the challenges we have collectively been through as a team over the last 18 months - I'm hoping it might be a walk in the park. I'm also really keen to raise lots of money for Flying Start to support others who are in need - it's something I'm really passionate about and I'm hoping the fact that I'll be sleeping in a tent for two nights will encourage lots of people to sponsor us!

Oscar Correa, Operations Business Manager

I see it as an opportunity to help raise funds for Flying Start, an organization dedicated to helping people, especially disadvantaged children, to have better lives. I do not consider myself to be in great shape, and I have never been much of a sports person (not even football, despite being born in Colombia). Additionally, I have never participated in anything like this before. I am aware that it will involve a good amount of training (finding the time between family, work, and studies) and adopting healthier habits to prepare my body if I want to succeed, even if that means sacrificing my beloved afternoon chocolate and the shortbreads and bhakarwadies. I must admit that I have never gone camping, and sleeping in a tent in the mountains has never been a dream of mine. However, I am fully committed to seeing this challenge through to the end!!

Peter Lyons, Head of Internal Communications

Although a little nervous about the intensity of a multi-day mountain hike, the opportunity challenge myself physically while raising funds for those in need is incredibly motivating. I’m really excited to be taking part because it combines my love for nature and travel with a meaningful cause.

René de Groot, Chief Operating Officer

I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I see it as another great chance for us as OLT to work together as a team in a completely different set up, learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, and support each other to reach the end (within D15 😉). We can then bring what we learn to our teams into our daily work. Like our operational targets, it might not be easy, but with the right preparation, we'll get there. And what better motivation than helping to raise funds for Flying Start!

Richard Anderson, Director of Global Operations

I’m really looking forward to taking on the challenge of trekking to the top of the Atlas mountains.  It will be a great opportunity for the Operations Leadership Team to spend some time together focusing on a challenge very different to the daily operation, but requiring us to work as team and support each other.  Hopefully this will lead to benefits that we take back to our work as a team in the front line of BA’s business.  On a personal level, I really love physical challenges and love being outdoors, so I’m looking forward to preparing for the trip and the experiences it will bring.  It’s also great to be able to do something practical to support Flying Start, which is a charity that Global Ops does so much to support.  

Simon Cheadle, Director of Flight Operations

I’m really excited to take on the challenge of climbing Mount Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains. It’s for a fantastic cause in Flying Start which helps young people in the UK and abroad have a brighter future and it will be a huge challenge for us all to overcome.

Terri Shields, Executive Assistant

I'm thrilled to be part of this exciting, albeit very challenging, trek! It’s a fantastic opportunity for our team to connect outside the usual meeting room setting. I’m eagerly looking forward to the team spirit and the healthy competitiveness that this experience will bring. Supporting a great organization like Flying Start has always been close to my heart, though my previous efforts have mainly involved baking cakes rather than trekking! Sleeping in a tent on a mountain will definitely going to push me out of my comfort zone, but I’m really looking forward to the adventure!

Tom Moran, Director of Heathrow

I joined BA as Director of Heathrow just over a year ago and have really enjoyed getting involved in our Flying Start activities, most recently joining in our sponsored 'dance off' with Strictly Come Dancing stars at Heathrow on Red Nose Day! I am a keen runner and footballer and am hoping that this will stand me in good stead as we prepare to scale the Atlas mountains to raise money for good causes.

Flying Start

Flying Start formed a charity partnership in 2010 with Comic Relief. 

Over the past 14 years we have raised more than £28 million thanks to our customers and colleagues, and have supported almost 1 million people in the UK and some of the worlds poorest communities.

This years theme for Comic Relief Red Nose Day is "Do something funny for money", so this year we'll be fundraising in our bases across India with an extra touch of funny. Last year we raised over £5000 for Red Nose Day and we're looking to raise lots of money again this year.

Right now, many people across the UK and around the world are being forced to make truly impossible choices, every single day. But we know that when people come together for Red Nose Day, we can make a huge difference. So we need you and your brilliant colleagues, now more than ever.