United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Ex-BA chairman Lord King dies
Former British Airways chairman Lord King, who rescued the airline from financial disaster in the 1980s, has died aged 87.
Lord King was appointed in 1981 to turn around the fortunes of the then ailing flag carrier and axed 22,000 jobs and half the board, replaced the fleet and dropped unprofitable routes.
He brought in Sir Colin Marshall in 1983 as chief executive and privatised the airline in 1987 – with its share offering 11 times oversubscribed.
Another former chairman, Martin Broughton, was quoted in the Guardian as saying Lord King “transformed the airline from a position of state-owned weakness to one of financial strength.”
But it wasn’t all plain sailing. He was embroiled in the dirty tricks campaign waged against Virgin Atlantic which resulted in Richard Branson successfully suing BA in 1992.
A counter-sue bid by Lord King proved an expensive mistake with the court finding in Branson’s favour and ordering Lord King to make a public apology and compensate Branson to the tune of £500,000. BA’s legal fees were £3 million.
Lord King died yesterday at his 2,000-acre Leicestershire estate.
Report by Steve Jones
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel