Inside British Airways' HQ control room - the nerve centre that oversees up to 820 flights A DAY (and decides if YOUR bag is coming off the plane first)

If a British Airways plane is stuck on the Heathrow taxiway awaiting a free stand – BA HQ will be fully aware. MailOnline Travel's Ted Thornhill takes a sneak peek inside BA's Integrated Operations Control centre at its Waterside head office next to Heathrow The IOC is responsible for planning up to 820 flights a day to around 210 destinations - with up to 100 aircraft from a fleet of 260 in the air at any one time The IOC's planning remit includes 'load control', ensuring that what is loaded onto the aircraft is put in the right place in the cargo hold for balance and take-off performance. The IOC also determines what speed planes will fly at, what height they'll reach and how they'll get from A to B. BA uses predictive tools using historical data to help with flight plans – so the airline already has a fairly accurate picture before the day of departure how much fuel will be needed and how many bags will be turning up. BA uses predictive tools using historical data to help with flight plans – so the airline already has a fairly accurate picture before the day of departure how much fuel will be needed and how many bags will be turning up The IOC team communicates with its pilots via satellite phones and texts, and with its cabin crew via Microsoft Teams, which enables BA to offer proactive mid-flight customer service. The IOC team constantly communicates with its pilots via satellite phones and texts, and with its cabin crew via Microsoft Teams, which enables BA to offer proactive mid-flight customer service.