Malaysia Airlines chief executive Peter Bellew is to re-join Ryanair.
Bellew has been appointed chief operations officer and will take over responsibility for all Ryanair’s flight operations, ground operations and engineering but with a specific responsibility for pilot production, training and career development.
Bellew worked for Ryanair until 2014 as director flight operations. He will join Ryanair in Dublin on December 1.
The airline’s former chief operating officer, Michael Hickey, resigned last week following the pilot rota fiasco that led to the cancellation of tens of thousands of flights.
Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said: “We are pleased to welcome Peter back to Ryanair. Having worked previously in a senior role in our operations team, Peter has an unrivalled knowledge of our business model and how we maintain controlled growth, with industry leading punctuality, for the benefit of our customers and our people.
“Peter will lead a significant transformation in the way we reward and interact with our pilots, improve their working environment and career development over the coming years as we grow the fleet to some 600 aircraft and expand our traffic, at lower fares, to 200m customers p.a.”
Bellew said: “I am excited to return home to Ryanair and take up the challenge to grow the operation sustainably. I look forward to working with all the team and all the crews I know so well to further develop our growth to 600 aircraft over the next 6 years.”