Ayling Departure Due to Lack of People Skills; Successor Long Way Off

World Airline News, March 17, 2000

Who Will Succeed Ayling?

The departure of Ayling March 10 was unexpected if not surprising. And from the ashes has arisen, not a phoenix, but a monster spouting the names of many possible successors. Between March 13-15 alone, names as diverse as James Strong and Rod Eddington, stalwarts of Australian carriers Qantas Airways and Ansett Australia, and US Airways' [U] Chairman Stephen Wolf (an airline currently entangled in its own potentially fatal labor dispute) have arisen in the press - although none of the nominees have been offered with credible arguments.

Ayling's departure was surprising but not unexpected, and, according to UK Sunday newspaper The Observer, which broke the story March 5, was the result of lengthy one-on-one discussions between Marshall and the BA board. But since then, the British airline has kept characteristically quiet.

However, it is uncertain what BA's strategy will be from this point forward. The airline has been reported on numerous occasions (and in reputable publications) as confirming the appointment of a headhunter to assist in the search for a new chief executive. But inquiries made by WAN resulted in denials. "The search for a new chief executive is currently being handled by BA, and BA alone," said a company official

And again, analysts disagree with media speculation. Aalysts from Asia, Australia, Europe and the U.S. pollerd by WAN unanimously agreed that a successor would most likely come from outside the airline industry. "There is none with the right experience within BA or the UK as a whole who would be open for the job, and with the impending union problems it would be surprising for a foreigner to be appointed to the head of Britain's largest airline," said Salomon Smith Barney's Light.