FORMER MyTravel Airways operations boss Tim Jeans is heading to
Monarch Scheduled to become the airline’s managing
director.
Jeans, who resigned last week and is currently on three
months’ gardening leave, has been drafted in by group chief
executive Peter Brown to oversee an ambitious expansion
programme.
He will work closely with commercial director Jonathan Crick to
identify new business areas and route destinations.
Monarch’s scheduled airline has been without a dedicated
managing director since Danny Bernstein stepped down to become
non-executive chairman of the group two years ago.
Until now, Brown has been overseeing the airline in his group
chief executive’s role but has decided to bring in a
dedicated managing director to drive growth.
A source said: “Tim felt this was an opportunity that was too
good to turn down. It was nothing to do with MyTravel’s
decision to reduce its airline fleet, but the scheduled side of the
business is an area where he feels more at home.”
Jeans’ original brief at MyTravel, to build MyTravelLite
into a leading low-cost carrier, was blighted as the extent of the
group’s financial troubles became clear shortly after he
joined.
He made his name as Ryanair’s vocal sales and marketing
manager before being poached to join MyTravelLite.
Although Monarch is based in Luton, its largest scheduled
operation is out of Manchester Airport, close to Jeans’
home.
Monarch Scheduled would not confirm or deny Jeans’ arrival
until Brown returned from holiday next week.
MyTravel says it has no plans to replace Jeans.