Two airline departures: one unscheduled, one early – and both apparently prompted by fatigue. Aer Lingus chief Dermot Mannion’s sudden take-off, after a four-year stint, was unexpected. The former Emirates man was seen as a sound choice to put Aer Lingus on a sustainable heading after it listed in 2006. Yet his exit suggests he had tired of battling Ryanair at home and EasyJet and others abroad.

Meanwhile, Colin Chandler, EasyJet’s chairman who steps down in July, had been expected to stay until the autumn, allowing time for Sir Michael Rake, his likely successor to relinquish other commitments. But after a protracted public debate between Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the low-cost airline’s founder, and the board over strategy, Mr Chandler’s early bolt for the exit suggests he had had enough. Neither departure reflects well on the companies they leave.