Sky’s limit for former pilot’s career

WHEN Willie Walsh takes the controls of the world’s favourite airline in September, it will be almost four years since he began piloting Aer Lingus out of turbulence.

Over those four years, the 43-year-old former pilot has emerged as one of the most-respected names in the aviation business. He may not have the bravado of Ryanair’s motormouth boss Michael O’Leary, but such is his reputation that BA chairman Martin Broughton said yesterday he had “captured the very best person for the job”.

Mr Walsh was parachuted into the chief executive’s chair at Aer Lingus not long after September 11, 2001, when the airline was forced into another crisis. With the business in trouble, and rudderless due to the sudden departure of chief executive Michael Foley and the death of chairman Bernie Cahill, it was left to Mr Walsh to perform the heroics.