When ever I hear John / Sir / Lord King's name, a phrase that immediately then comes to mind is '
unethical business practices' !
It shouldn't be forgotten that King was at BA's helm during the era of the "dirty tricks" campaign(s).
This was something which subsequently ended with Richard Branson sueing King and BA for libel (in 1992).
BA countersued and the case went to trial (in 1993) whereupon the court found in favour of Branson & Virgin, and King & BA were ordered to pay damages of £500,000 to Branson and £110,000 to Virgin.
BA also had to cough up legal fees up about £3m........ needless to say, King retired soon after.
Aside - The UK arm of Air Europe would probably also have sued wrt 'Dirty Tricks' but they'd already been put out of business (anybody else remember the AE Boardroom & HG's car being bugged; so who did that then ?) - and much the same could probably be said for Laker, BCal, and DanAir.
See also:
Dirty Tricks: British Airways' Secret War Against Virgin Atlantic