Ryanair tries to delay operations chief’s flight to easyJet

Ryanair heads to court Tuesday to try to prevent operations chief Peter Bellew from joining arch-rival easyJet until 2021. Europe’s biggest budget airline said in July that the former Malaysia Airlines boss would step down at the end of the year. But after easyJet announced Bellew’s appointment as its new chief operations officer a week later, Ryanair launched legal proceedings in Ireland’s High Court. Ryanair argues that all its senior executives commit to non-compete clauses barring them from joining a competitor for 12 months after leaving the Irish airline. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said in September that the only issue was whether Bellew, who is currently working out his notice, can join easyJet on Jan. 1, 2020, or Jan. 1, 2021, a full 18 months after easyJet announced his appointment. O’Leary has said the timing of Bellew’s switch is sensitive because of the problems Ryanair is currently having with Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX jet, which have slowed down its growth plans. Bellew left his role as CEO of Malaysia Airlines two years ago to return to Ryanair where he was director of flight operations before leaving for Kuala Lumpur in 2014. Tasked with tackling a pilot revolt that resulted in Ryanair’s first ever strikes, Bellew has helped patch up relations with staff and agree deals on pay and conditions with trade unions that have quelled the unrest.<br/>