EASYJET's chief operating officer resigned yesterday as the airline continues to handle the fallout from the travel chaos that has engulfed many of Europe's major airports.

The airline's board announced yesterday that Peter Bellew, who joined Easyjet two and a half years ago, resigned on Friday to "pursue other business opportunities".

The company added, however, that Bellew would briefly stay with the company to "ensure a smooth transition".

Easyjet shares fell 4.4 per cent yesterday following the news.

Bellew's resignation comes at a tough time for the airline.

Last month, Easyjet was forced to axe one in 10 flights across its network for the summer period in response to staff shortages.

Meanwhile, around 450 Spanish cabin crew staff walked out last weekend over deteriorating working conditions.

The carrier faced further criticism over the weekend after it emerged that its executives were jetting off for two nights to a luxury resort in Mallorca.

Easyjet defended the trip, saying it was "entirely appropriate for the management board to undertake business meetings around the network".

(c) 2022 City A.M., source Newspaper