Rene de Groot will become chief operating officer, but will not join until 1 October, after the summer peak. He is currently at KLM, where he holds an identical role. 

Following de Groot’s appointment, BA’s current chief operating officer, Jason Mahoney, will become chief technical officer. BA has split the chief operating role so that technical and operations will become two separate areas. However, the change will come too late for the summer, in which BA is likely to face more cancellations and airport disruption.

A BA spokesperson said: “We’re pleased to welcome Rene de Groot to our senior management committee team, who will be joining us as our chief operating officer.

“As we navigate an extremely challenging period for our industry, we are completely focused on three priorities: our customers, supporting the biggest recruitment drive in our history and increasing our operational resilience to deliver the best possible experience for our customers.”