British Airways Replaces CEO Cruz With Aer Lingus Boss Doyle

British Airways says it will be replacing Chief Executive Officer Alex Cruz.

This comes just weeks after fellow Spaniard Luis Gallego took over as head of parent company IAG SA.

Cruz, who has been with the air carrier for four years, will immediately be replaced by Aer Lingus boss Sean Doyle.

According to a statement from the company, Cruz will stay on as non-executive chairman for a transition period before Doyle also takes on the role.

British Airways has been embroiled in a bitter dispute with unions over redundancies and pay cuts. It is slashing thousands of workers and has been criticised by staff and MPs who claim the airline has been following a “fire and rehire” policy, which left some employees facing pay cuts of up to 50%.

Luis Gallego, chief executive of IAG, which owns BA, said: “We’re navigating the worst crisis faced in our industry and I’m confident these internal promotions will ensure IAG is well placed to emerge in a strong position.”

The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the airline industry. The number of passengers have fallen as a result of this, revenues have been badly hit.

Airlines are restructuring and cutting cost to stay in business and remain profitable.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned it does not see the aviation sector returning to profitability until 2022.

Lillian Jijingi

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