Ever since he became chief executive of British Airways in 2005, Willie Walsh has delighted in giving a countdown to the opening of Terminal 5. So why has it gone so badly?

A smooth entry to the airline’s showpiece new home at Heathrow was at the top of BA’s agenda for 2008. Nothing was better calculated to end the era of Heathrow hassle and to allow the airline and airport to restore their battered reputations.