SOUTHAMPTON Airport’s largest operator Flybe has revealed a major management shake-up as it tries to make multi-million-pound savings.

The company has announced the appointment of Saad Hammad as chief executive officer with effect from August 1.

He will replace Jim French, who will become non-executive chairman from the same date.

The appointment comes after the company, which has its headquarters in Exeter, has reported losses of more than £40m.

But Flybe revealed that it hopes to make annual savings of £50m by 2014/15 after slashing more than 20 per cent of its workforce and cutting pilot pay by up to five per cent.

It has already cut around 490 roles, with a further 90 planned in the current financial year.

New chief executive Mr Hammad was chief commercial officer of easyJet plc from October 2005 to April 2009.