February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion announced his exit from the airline’s top job this week and the hunt is now on for a replacement.
Whoever takes over the job faces into a most difficult financial situation with the Irish carrier facing a loss for this year atop a loss for 2008.
The Irish Independent noted that when Mannion was appointed chief executive, the then national carrier had its pick of both international talent and internal candidates “eager to pilot the airline to privatization greatness. Four years later, the picture has changed beyond recognition.”
The paper added that, realistically, high caliber executives of global aviation repute are unlikely to be beating a path to Aer Lingus’s door, making candidates “closer to home” look decidedly more likely.
The paper did mention a few names but forgot one: Jack Foley, Aer Lingus executive vice president for North America. Foley, who is for sure high caliber, should be considered along with the rest.