EasyJet chief operating officer resigns

EasyJet's chief operating officer has resigned after a series of flight cancellations and disruption at the airline in recent weeks.

The airline said Peter Bellew had resigned "to pursue other business opportunities" and wished him well, reports BBC.

It comes after thousands of EasyJet flights have been cancelled - some at short notice.

Trade union Unite last month criticised a "lack of leadership" at the airline and urged Mr Bellew to "take control".

Announcing Mr Bellew's resignation, EasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said it was "absolutely focused on delivering a safe and reliable operation this summer."

He said the role of interim chief operations officer would be in the "very capable hands of" David Morgan "who will provide strong leadership for the airline this summer."

Mr Morgan has been with EasyJet since 2016 and is currently director of flight operations at the airline, but had previously led overall operations at the airline, as interim chief operating officer, in 2019.

The aviation sector shed thousands of jobs during Covid pandemic, but is now struggling to meet the rebound in demand for travel.

EasyJet has been one of the worst hit for cancellations in recent months. It has axed thousands of flights, including many on the day they were due to depart.

The airline said the majority of its flights were unaffected by the cancellations, with it continuing to operating up to 1,700 flights a day.