British Airways
The situation
British Airways and SCC had been partners for 15 years. The relationship started in 1999 with a straightforward three-year break/fix and IMAC (image, move, add, change) deal, the standard infrastructure support contract. Most vendor relationships don’t last beyond that first renewal. This one did, and kept renewing.
In 2024, British Airways signed a five-year extension, taking the partnership to 20 years. More significantly, it was the fourth consecutive renewal, and it happened without a competitive tender. That pattern told a story about what the relationship had become.
What SCC did
There was no dramatic turning point or single headline project. Instead, there was consistency. SCC showed up, delivered on commitments, understood BA’s operational environment, and evolved with the business. When BA’s priorities changed, SCC adapted. When new technologies emerged, SCC helped BA evaluate if they mattered to the airline’s strategy.
Over 15 years, an organisation handling critical infrastructure, aircraft maintenance, crew scheduling, passenger systems, fuel management, came to rely on SCC as part of how it operates.
What changed
The relationship shifted from vendor-customer to integrated team. SCC became embedded in BA’s operations in ways that made little sense to replace. Consistency and quality accumulated into trust. That trust meant BA could invest in longer-term projects knowing that the foundation, the infrastructure, was solid and would remain solid.
More subtly, BA had the confidence to take risks. When the airline needed to move forward, it could do so knowing that operational basics were handled competently.
What the client learned
British Airways learned that picking infrastructure partners is a consequential decision that pays dividends over decades. By choosing consistency and reliability over lowest cost, by investing in a relationship with people who understood the business, BA created stability. That stability allowed the airline to focus on being an airline rather than managing IT.
SCC is critical to BA’s success, and the relationship has evolved successfully over the last 15 years. We’ve grown together. SCC is understanding of what BA is trying to achieve, and shares our goals.
Adrian Steel, Head of IT Operations, IAG (British Airways)
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