Alex Cruz replaced as British Airways CEO

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• Freddy says:

  12 Oct12 October 09:08

  Don’t give two hoots whose at the top at any given time. It’s all about the points

• Mr. AC says:

  12 Oct12 October 09:37

  Rookie IAG stock question: when and how often do they disclose booking numbers?

  • marcw says:

    12 Oct12 October 09:43

    usually whenever they announce results. expect something on 30th october.

    • Mr. AC says:

      12 Oct12 October 09:50

      Thank you!

• AJA says:

  12 Oct12 October 11:28

  It’s now clear why AC didn’t take up his rights issue entitlement. Never really liked him or WW so this is positive news as far as i am concerned. Let’s hope Sean Doyle doesn’t devalue the BA brand any further but being an accountant he must see that devaluing the brand is the wrong direction to take. I wish him well in the new job and good-bye AC.

• RussellH says:

  12 Oct12 October 12:11

  Sunday Times Business section forecast this a few weeks ago, so not a big surprise.

• John says:

  12 Oct12 October 12:27

  Why would you expect him to resign Rob? No executive should ever resign unless they have another job to go to, contractual payments and other entitlements one gives up make that financial suicide.

  • Rob says:

    12 Oct12 October 13:06

    It is perfectly normal, for any senior manager, to consider resigning if they are passed over promotion. It’s how the world works. Gallego is going nowhere for at least 5 years, so Alex would either sit it out at BA for 5 years or leave to run a group elsewhere.

    It is also VERY common for headhunters to actively target people who have been passed over for promotion and push them forward for roles at other companies.

    What would you do? Let’s say your boss is a Finance Director and you are his No 2. He leaves or gets promoted, but you get overlooked and one of your junior staff – or a manager from another department – is given the FD job instead of you. You have no chance of that FD role for at least 5 years (probably never if someone junior to you was given it) so you look elsewhere.

    The contractual issues you mention don’t apply, because the company EXPECTS you to leave and will waive those rights to get you out of the door. They know you are unhappy and would prefer it if you left sooner rather than later.

    • ChrisW says:

      12 Oct12 October 15:26

      Having waited for promotions that never came working loyalty for the same company for years it is much easier to progress your career by accepting a higher position in another organisation!

    • Chrisasaurus says:

      12 Oct12 October 18:33

      The contractual payments I assume were referring to those you’d be expecting off the company, not the other way around – but the point stands the other way, and it’s unlikely Alex left of his own choosing in isolation, I expect there was a settlement agreed that reflects his expected earnings/bonuses(contractual payments) vs the company’s wish to get rid.

      But the point was why leave without somewhere to go, and the answer there is that he’s prime headhunter material now, and will be well looked after from his BA settlement for sure.

• xcalx says:

  12 Oct12 October 14:42

  “At the other end of the plane, I have recently seen European flights selling for as little as £14 one way. This is a figure which would have been unthinkable when Cruz joined.”

  This comment suggests you think this is due to his leadership rather an a Pandemic.

  • Josh says:

    12 Oct12 October 18:30

    BA economy flights certainly became much cheaper following Cruz taking control. Return flights to China in sales are often below £400 return, before Covid.

    Before Cruz, I was lucky to see a return BA economy flight to China for less than £500.

    • chabuddy geezy says:

      12 Oct12 October 19:47

      The £14 flights started way before Covid.

• David S says:

  13 Oct13 October 08:19

  With these changes at the top all round, Hope they revisit The decision to place a tentative order for Boeing 737 Max planes

  • Chrisasaurus says:

    13 Oct13 October 12:17

    Well, there’s really no such thing as a tentative order, and this certainly was no such thing either – it was a letter of intent and frankly so far as I understand it was just a public show up support for Boeing which means even less now…

    • Opus says:

      13 Oct13 October 17:34

      Well at the way things are going. Boeing has about 3 major max orders in the pipe line. So that IAG LOI is not as potent but still very much alive

  • Mr. AC says:

    14 Oct14 October 10:15

    I hope they don’t. The 737 Max, once it’s allowed to fly again, is likely going to be the safest (or at least the most carefully checked and evaluated) plane in existence. I’ll be actively trying to fly on them if there is a choice of aircraft.

• Anthony Holt says:

  13 Oct13 October 17:23

  He put his hat in the rink of WW – no surprise here – move on

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