New easyJet boss sets cutting delays at key aim
29.07.10
Carolyn McCall, easyJet’s new chief executive, said delays at Gatwick Airport are her most immediate concern after joining the airline 4 weeks ago. Announcing the budget airline’s quarterly results (see separate story) she said that she is ‘looking at all assumptions’ concerning crew levels and rostering as staff shortages at bases including Gatwick have caused a decline in the airline's service punctuality.
Ms McCall, who joined from Guardian Media Group on July 1, also said she has opened a communications channel with easyJet founder and major shareholder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, who opposes the budget airline’s growth plans, is locked in a legal battle over its use of the ‘easy’ name and has warned he could terminate a license to the brand if the on-time performance is not improved within 90 days. She added that the airline has been advised punctuality is not relevant to the 'easy' licensing agreement and that it cannot be withdrawn over this issue.
Ms McCall is aiming a fix for the delays problems by November and will focus on early-wave flights, the first departures of the day typically used by business travellers, seeking solutions from the owners of Gatwick, where EasyJet is the biggest airline, and could reschedule some flights to give a buffer between trips.
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