easyJet founder talks tough
Good Times, Bad Times: The Business Personalities Of The Year
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.At just 30, Stelios Haji-Ioannou represents the next link in Europe's line of populist airline entrepreneurs - and may even surpass his predecessors Sir Freddie Laker and Richard Branson for sheer publicity- seeking gall.
Suing British Airways appears to comes with the territory. Like Sir Freddie and Mr Branson before him, Mr Haji-Ioannou is poised for a bitter battle with the dominant carrier.
After seeing easyJet Airline, his garish orange-painted carrier based at Luton airport, grab attention and at least some passengers since it started in 1995, BA is going ahead with its own low-cost carrier at Stansted.
Mr Haji-Ioannou is ready for the fight and is already talking to the European Commission about limiting the amount of capital the new airline's chief executive can get from BA. "The Commission should say Barbara Cassani has to go home if she loses her share capital," he says.
It's not as if Mr Haji-Ioannou himself is short of cash. His father, Greek shipping magnate Loucas Haji-Ioannou, is estimated to be worth $730m (pounds 442m). The son maintains homes in Athens and Monte Carlo - which he prefers to Luton. "I don't really like the weather," he says.
He is casual in appearance and has stamped that image on easyJet, which bills its flights as "the price of a pair of jeans".
But in conversation, he's intensely serious. Business, it's clear, is in his blood. "It's hard to distinguish when business finishes and pleasure starts," he says - a word of warning to BA.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments