easyJet hunts top duo to lead European expansion

No-frills carrier easyJet is looking for two key figures to join the airline ahead of the company’s launch of easyJet Switzerland.

The low-cost airline is seeking a chief commercial officer to head pan-European commercial activities and a chief operating officer who will be responsible for strategic and operational issues.

“This is a reorganisation to reflect the increase in scale of the easyJet operation,” says easyJet sales and marketing director Tony Anderson. “The company is growing rapidly and as a result we need an effective infrastructure.”

Anderson says Switzerland is a “great opportunity” for easyJet; the company secured a 40 per cent stake in charter airline TEA Switzerland in April.

easyJet has said that it will exercise an option for a 90 per cent stake in the company as soon as possible. This will be allowed only if Switzerland concludes an “open skies” agreement with the European Union in October. The Swiss air travel market is one of the most protectionist in Europe.

easyJet hit the headlines earlier this year when it attempted to block the launch of BA-owned, low-cost airline Go. While the judge ruled the launch could proceed, he also granted permission for a full hearing on whether BA’s creation of Go is in breach of European Union competition laws.