Who is Peter Bellew and why has he left EasyJet?

EASYJET chief operating officer Peter Bellew has resigned amid anger over flight cancellations.

But who is he, and when did he quit?

Who is Peter Bellew?

Peter Bellew is the former COO of budget airline EasyJet.

He joined the company in July 2019 from rival company Ryanair.

On Monday, July 4, 2022, the British carrier announced that he had resigned on Friday, July 1, 2022.

The company has appointed David Morgan as interim chief operating officer (COO).

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Morgan has been at the firm since 2016, and will report directly to its CEO, Johan Lundgren.

Lundgren said: “I would like to thank Peter for his hard work and wish him well.

“Everyone at easyJet remains absolutely focused on delivering a safe and reliable operation this summer.”

On the appointment of Morgan in the interim role, he said: “David has significant experience and deep knowledge of the business and operation and will provide strong leadership for the airline this summer.”

Shares in the low-cost carrier have fallen back to lows seen at the start of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.

Why has Peter Bellew quit as EasyJet COO?

The airline announced that Bellew had stood down “to pursue other business opportunities”.

His exit comes after thousands of flights were cancelled, with many on the day the flights were due to depart.

Airports in the UK have been experiencing travel chaos, primarily due to staff shortages, and the processing time for getting security clearance for new hires.

On Friday, July 1, 2022, it was reported that EasyJet was cancelling thousands of flights this summer due to staff shortages.

The airline has said: “The vast majority of customers’ flights will not be impacted and of those that are, the majority of customers will be re-booked within 24 hours.

“We will be notifying affected customers directly in the coming days with information on their alternative flight or the option to rebook or receive a refund.”