Interview: IAG CEO on Low-Cost Competition and Passenger Experience
Photo Credit: Willie Walsh is so unafraid to make tough decisions that he once earned the nickname "Slasher Walsh." International Airlines Group
Skift Take
Willie Walsh is not afraid to make decisions that anger employee unions and disappoint some passengers. That may seem like poor strategy, but it's a big part of the reason that International Airlines Group is in better shape than most of Europe's other airlines. Sometimes, an executive must make unpopular decisions to ensure the long-term success of a business.
Future of Passenger Experience
To better understand the challenges facing airlines in an age of fluctuating oil prices, rapid growth, and changing passenger expectations, our Future of Passenger Experience series will allow leaders in the industry to explain their best practices and insights.Years ago, Willie Walsh earned one of the more unusual nicknames in the airline industry.
After he drove to remove costs at Aer Lingus, the Irish carrier he led from 2001 to 2005, some called him, 'Slasher Walsh.'
It's a nickname he probably deserved, after cutting 2,000 jobs on his first day as CEO, ending unprofitable routes, and squeezing revenue from every asset he could — even selling the company's art collection. But considering the rough fiscal shape Aer Lingus was in, his moves were probably necessary. Had Walsh not remade Aer Lingus, the airline could have gone out of business.
Walsh, now CEO of International Airlines Group, the European company that owns British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, and the Spanish low cost airline, Vueling, remains unafraid to make decisions unpopular with unions and passengers, so long as they make sound financial sense. Airlines, he has said, must adapt, or they will die.
