British Airways faces customer leadership vacuum as Chief Customer Officer Calum Laming set to depart in March 2026

LONDON — December 26, 2025 — British Airways is heading into 2026 with a major question hanging over one of its most visible priorities: the customer experience. Multiple aviation and travel outlets reported this week that Calum Laming, British Airways’ Chief Customer Officer (CCO), is expected to leave the airline at the end of March 2026—and that no successor has been publicly named. ^[1]

The timing is awkward. Boxing Day traditionally marks a surge in travel bookings and public attention for airlines—and British Airways has launched its annual sale window, running through late January. At the same time, disruption-heavy winter operations across major hubs are once again putting customer service under a spotlight—raising the stakes for whoever ends up owning British Airways’ next chapter of passenger-facing strategy. ^[2]

What’s been reported about Calum Laming’s British Airways exit

Across reports published between December 21 and December 26, travel and aviation sites said British Airways has confirmed Laming’s planned departure at the end of March 2026, while noting the absence of a named replacement. Some reports also claim the day-to-day scope of the role may already be reduced ahead of the formal departure date—though British Airways has not publicly detailed any interim structure. ^[3]

That combination—an announced timeline, no clearly communicated handover plan, and a role that touches nearly every part of the passenger journey—is what has triggered the “leadership uncertainty” framing now circulating widely online. ^[4]

Why the Chief Customer Officer job matters more than the title suggests

At many airlines, the “customer” portfolio can be split across product, marketing, service recovery, digital, loyalty, and airport experience—often creating gaps in accountability. British Airways consolidated much of that responsibility in the CCO role.

According to British Airways’ own leadership factsheet, Laming’s remit includes marketing, onboard product, ground product, customer care, and in‑flight experience—a sweeping scope that effectively links brand promises to operational delivery. ^[5]

In other words: when a premium passenger complains about a lounge experience, a cabin inconsistency, a misaligned service standard, or a digital rebooking journey, the CCO function is one of the few places where all of those threads can (in theory) be pulled together.

That makes the succession question more than an HR headline. It’s a test of whether British Airways can keep its customer strategy coherent while managing the relentless operational realities of a global network carrier.

Who is Calum Laming, and what did he lead at British Airways?

British Airways says Laming joined the airline at the start of 2022 as Director of Business Recovery before moving into the Chief Customer Officer position, after previously serving as Vueling’s Chief Customer Officer for five years. ^[6]

Aviation coverage has also emphasized the unusual “from inside the operation” arc of Laming’s career, including claims that he worked in frontline roles earlier in his aviation life before moving into senior brand and customer positions. ^[7]

During his tenure at British Airways, Laming became one of the most public-facing executives in the company’s push to modernize the passenger experience—especially in premium cabins and premium ground service, where the carrier competes directly with increasingly polished offerings from European and Middle Eastern rivals. ^[8]

A tenure defined by premium upgrades and a “British Original” brand push

Even as reports highlight internal pressure to control costs, Laming’s period as Chief Customer Officer has been closely associated with British Airways’ highly visible product and brand initiatives—some of which remain unfinished heading into 2026.

Lounges: Miami and Dubai as the template

In October 2025, British Airways formally unveiled new lounges in Miami and Dubai, presenting them as the debut of a new design concept intended to guide future lounge development across the network. The airline described this work as part of a broader multi‑year transformation program and positioned the lounges as a “step change” in its premium offering. ^[9]

Laming was quoted in British Airways’ own release describing these openings as part of an “extensive lounge transformation plan,” explicitly linking the new concept to what customers should expect in future lounge refurbishments. ^[10]

First Class: a new suite tied to the A380 retrofit

British Airways also revealed a redesigned First product intended for its Airbus A380 retrofit, with the airline’s media centre describing it as part of the A380 program expected to enter service in mid‑2026. ^[11]

That schedule matters. Mid‑2026 is not far off—and leadership stability in customer experience functions can influence everything from service design to crew training to the consistency of premium delivery once a new cabin launches.

Marketing and customer narrative

The departure coverage has repeatedly referenced British Airways’ “British Original” positioning, associating it with Laming’s brand and marketing remit during his tenure. ^[12]

Whether passengers loved or loathed specific executions, the larger point is that British Airways has been attempting something difficult: rebuilding premium credibility while also running a high-volume operation under post‑pandemic constraints.

Why this change is landing now: pressure points British Airways is juggling on Boxing Day

Leadership transitions always attract attention. But this one is resonating because it lands amid three simultaneous pressures:

1) Peak-season disruption risk (and customer service visibility)

On December 26, travel coverage tracked significant disruption affecting multiple airlines, including British Airways, citing cancellations and delays tied to weather and congestion at major hubs. ^[13]

Even when disruption is outside an airline’s control, the customer experience reputation is often shaped by how quickly the airline communicates, reaccommodates, and resolves issues—areas closely tied to customer leadership strategy.

2) A high-profile booking moment: British Airways’ Boxing Day sale window

British Airways’ “Original Sale” runs through January 27, 2026, according to the airline’s own published terms—placing added attention on the brand at exactly the moment headlines raise questions about customer leadership continuity. ^[14]

Travel deal roundups have also pointed to the same Boxing Day-to-late-January window for BA discounts, reinforcing how central this period is for consumer-facing messaging. ^[15]

3) Competitive pressure in the premium segment

British Airways sits in one of the most hotly contested long-haul markets in the world: London. Premium travelers—especially corporate buyers and high-frequency leisure flyers—have more choice than ever, and product investments only pay off if they’re delivered consistently.

That consistency is exactly what’s hardest to protect during a leadership handover in a role that spans marketing, product, lounges, and customer care.

The central question: what happens next—and what to watch

As of December 26, no successor has been publicly identified in the reporting that triggered this week’s coverage, and British Airways has not laid out a formal transition plan in public-facing materials. ^[16]

For passengers and industry watchers, the most meaningful signals in early 2026 will likely be practical rather than symbolic:

Whether BA names an interim or permanent replacement quickly, and whether that person owns the full customer portfolio (marketing + product + customer care) rather than a fragmented version of it. ^[17]
Whether key programs keep their momentum, particularly lounge refurbishments and the A380 First Class introduction expected in mid‑2026. ^[18]
How BA performs through disruption-heavy periods, when customer experience is judged most harshly—especially during winter operations and peak holiday travel. ^[19]

In the short term, British Airways still has time. An end‑of‑March 2026 departure date leaves a runway for succession planning—if the airline chooses to communicate it clearly and early.

But the broader lesson is simple: for a network airline rebuilding premium trust, customer leadership gaps rarely stay internal for long. They show up—fast—in the consistency of lounges, cabins, digital journeys, and service recovery. And on Boxing Day 2025, British Airways is being reminded just how closely those details are watched. ^[20]