Walsh’s ex-workmates unlikely to jump ship

THE two executives who left Aer Lingus in tandem with new British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh are unlikely to join their former boss — for now.

Former Aer Lingus chief financial officer Brian Dunne and chief operating officer Seamus Kearney were rumoured to be planning a low-cost airline with Mr Walsh, but his elevation to the top job at BA makes that outcome less likely, analysts said yesterday.

Neither man has signalled their plans but they are understood to be in talks with prospective employers about their future. But there may be no room for them in BA for the time being. The executives in their equivalent positions in BA hold one-year contracts and are unlikely to vacate their jobs to make way for Mr Walsh’s former colleagues.