Virus brings end to BA’s Cruz control

BRITISH AIRWAYS chief executive Alex Cruz is to step down as the airline struggles to cope with the pandemic.

The Spaniard (pictured) is departing after four-and-a-half years at the helm, announced Luis Gallego, the head of the carrier’s parent company IAG.

Mr Cruz will be replaced by Sean Doyle, boss of IAG-owned Aer Lingus.

Mr Gallego 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.’

He added Mr Cruz had ‘ worked tirelessly to modernise the airline’, leading it through a particularly demanding period, and ‘has secured restructuring agreements with the vast majority of employees’.

BA has made 12,000 job cuts in recent months. And it has been accused of threatening a ‘fire and rehire’ scheme, with remaining staff facing downgraded terms and conditions. Trade union Unite claimed it has only carried out a ‘partial U-turn’, with ‘still too many BA workers facing threats to their wages and working life’.

In June, the Commons’ transport select committee called the airline’s treatment of its staff ‘a national disgrace’.

Mr Cruz told the committee the pandemic was ‘the worst crisis for BA’, which was ‘fighting for our own survival’. He regretted the job losses but said he ‘cannot ignore the situation’.

BA recorded an operating profit of £1.9billion last year, but is losing about £20million each day due to the pandemic while running a quarter of its normal flights. Air passenger numbers are not expected to return to 2019 levels until 2024.

Brian Strutton, head of pilots’ union Balpa, said Mr Cruz ‘has been in the departure lounge for some time so this is no surprise’.