IAG - BA - Willie Walsh retiring.
 

https://news.sky.com/story/boss-of-b...etire-11904277

...aka - Spanish Airways!

Where is Exspeedbird when you need his acerbic comments on Walsh's free flights in retirement............

I just hope that he gets a decent pension.

Good riddance , but I do not see his replacement being able to revive the brand.
Kind regards
Mr Mac

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ed1db52ae.jpeg

Hey, what’s it... Dink! We spent a lot of time getting rid of 737’s. SHAG, EOG, whatever was next. Uh oh!

He wont be missed.

Tipped to be the next President of Emirates according to Sky news’ Ian’s King. He’ll like the title of President, little men with big egos often do.

Results speak for themselves though, IAG is making money and is stable. He's done a good job.

ShamrockF
Used them much of the 80/90s but lost faith with them mid 90,s and never returned apart from very occasional trips. After last trip up from BA about 18 months ago, I did not see anything to tempt me back. As for results I am not sure a race to the bottom long term is a good way to run a business, but given UK lack of long term planning in govt or companies it does not surprise me. A chunk of UK populaces just appear to like things cheap and the cheaper the better.

Cheers
Mr Mac

But BA are not cheaper. My trip from London to Denver and back at Christmas was on an ancient 747 with uncomfortable seats in both economy and premium economy, with dire IFE which was so fuzzy as to be barely visible.

No patch on the far cheaper Norwegian Premium offering from Gatwick, that I've used 3 times the past 2 years (unfortunately suspended for 5 months due to RR issues).

will be interesting, since it will now be properly under Spanish control, and the CEO of Iberia has a great reputation for running an efficient airline with good industrial relations now doesn't he!

He won’t be missed, that’s for sure. Never known any BA boss in the last 40 years who was disliked so much by all groups of staff

And if the Spanish input such as Alex Cruz is any guide; this does not look like a breath of fresh air on the horizon. Having trashed Vueling as a pax experience Cruz has done the same with BA; the new appointment to replace Walsh - Gallego - is a political one - it's the Spanish turn next, not based on ability. Not much chance of BA ever regaiing its former glory I fear.

Ayling????????

You never heard of Bob Ayling then?

Tell ya.
I never for a nanosecond, missed working for Willie.
As a Captain, I had the same status as the fuel.

Have a great retirement by all means.

If I ever meet you......PANG!

I don't think you can place the blame for the decline on any single group of people, leave alone individual.

Any company that has been going for many decades is going to find it very difficult in today's trading. BA grew big and well in the 'fat' years of limited competiton and fares that supported high service levels. As we all know (and is said above) in the 21st Century, everyone wants to pay as little as possible. Even companies that grew up with that mindset have difficulties. BA had no choice but to downgrade, or they would no longer be trading.

The list of factors that have changed since I first stepped on to a VC-10 (aged 9) would take a very long time to list. Don't forget all the politics, the type of aircraft, the culture of travel, the competition, the Internet etcetera.

NO company of this size can hope to live forever. It is the natural order of things. Just look around at the other legacy companies that have gone and the few still going.

So with the Spanish in full control of IAG and BA, I guess the slide in quality will continue.

I would say that, it makes no difference who is in charge. The demand to provide more for less money and the power of the stock market lead in one direction only.

Even LCCs have this problem. In the USA, Southwest came to focus on the money so much that they were part and parcel of Boeing choosing to reduce training on the Max conversion. That has not worked out well.

The current pressures on companies compels them to provide poor quality. Whilst the public moan about the quality, they still do not want to pay for better.

In the antipodes, Australian airline staff grow weary after twelve years of shock and awe. Their little man, Willie's second cousin Alan Joyce won't leave!
Fingers were crossed as the title of President would also suit that man of no stature.

However, EK are wiser, watching QF sign an "amazing" deal to hub through Dubai. The deal delivered nothing for Qantas other than declining market penetration and a real reason for their customers to fly another airline..Thus, they abandoned it, scurrying back to hastily abandoned Singapore. Emirates were concerned with the level of "awesomeness" the other little Irishman offered. Passing on the world's most remunerated airline CEO, who to date has not ordered a solitary aircraft for Qantas was an easy decision.

Extracting ever increasing returns from a finite planet and limited market is economic stupidity.
In the search for ever increasing margins, eventually something breaks...

Maybe I'm being picky, but Walsh is boss of IAG. IAG are not a British Company........

One interesting observation in Sunday's press is that Walsh had already announced his plans to step down, but had suddenly brought the date forward. Given the reduced timescale to find a replacement, the appointment of Gallego is probably more driven by necessity than any other factor.

IAG is indeed not British but there are very few companies (public or private) in the Western sphere of financial influence that are not having every last coin flogged out of them. In the process, they are killing the golden goose but, as stated, that is what shareholders and bonus receivers want. They have been doing this all the 40 years that I have been observing commercial life. The only question is when it will end and the specifics of the mess it will make. Unfortunately, everyone is trying to make as much cash NOW and be out of the company before the crash.

oh he was bad, but I think the wee fella is disliked more by staff

yes, I remember him. Bloody awful, but I reckon the little fella is more disliked by staff

Good riddance! His most recent escapade was the most outrageous. Signing a meaningless LOI with Boeing and publically calling it "an order for 200 737MAX" is just childish. You can't remain a CEO of a major airline doing things like that.

Not quite 40 years ago, but some of us can still remember the King/Marshall era.

Those were the days... 😉