My job: Malcolm Muggridge

Sep 15 2008 Surrey Herald

Name: Malcolm Muggridge Age: 58 Job: Works for British Airways in the cargo division Lives: The Broadway, Laleham

Summarise your job

To maximise the amount of cargo we have on a British Airways' flight so we can fly an aircraft and make a profit. We liaise with companies and individuals who need cargo shipped to other countries, but who aren't attending the flight themselves.

 What are some of the difficulties?

If you charge too much you won't get enough cargo coming through, but if you don't charge enough you won't make a profit. You have to balance the two together. Also, most companies don't want to pay too much, and basically want it for free, but we are trying to make a profit. It is like a balancing trick really because if you charge too much they will go to another airline.

How does it work? It is like a market place?

You get offered a price for shipping cargo and haggle over the cost. We rely on a lot of freight companies who work around the airport, who give us trade that lasts throughout the season. But we also accept business from someone who wants to send luggage to Australia unaccompanied, for example.

Where do you work?

It is in a separate British Airways building near Terminal 4. It is very big, about the size of about six Wembley pitches.

What kind of things do you ship?

We send live dogs, cats, birds, and day- old chicks. We send out coffins with loved ones who need to get out to a funeral back home. We also ship out dangerous cargo like dry ice, flammable liquids, and machinery.

What do you like about it?

I have been at the job for 41 years and one of the perks is getting a discount on travel. My wife has gone to Australia recently, and on my service she went for free. It is good because you get two free trips a year in club class. The other benefit is you get a good pension, which is the equivalent of a Civil Service pension. I like the chance to travel and I have been to most corners of the world.

Has your job helped your everyday life?

I speak to people from all over the world, in Thailand, Africa, America, and India, who want to get cargo on the aircraft. A lot of time they ring up and say they need 1,000kg of freight on the plane. It has taught me to deal with many different types of people.

What is the competition like?

If another company has a lower rate we have to try and match it without losing out. There is a lot of competition in the form of all big airlines, but BA has an advantage of flying all over the world from London, and most other airlines don't have that.