Aer Lingus chief executive Stephen Kavanagh will step down on January 1, 2019 but will remain on the airline’s board as a non-executive director.

He will be succeeded as chief executive and executive director by Sean Doyle who is currently British Airways director of network, fleet and alliances.

Sean Doyle, originally from Cork, will take up his new role on January 1, 2019. He joined British Airways in 1998 and has undertaken financial, strategy, commercial and alliance roles for British Airways culminating in his appointment to the airline’s executive management committee in 2016.