Former easyJet executive Saad Hammad has been appointed to the position of chief executive with low-cost regional carrier Flybe.

Hammad, who is currently a managing director at private equity firm Gores Group, will take up the position on August 1st.

Before taking on his current role, Hammad was the chief commercial officer at low-cost carrier easyJet from October 2005 to April 2009 and served as a non-executive director of Air Berlin between May 2011 and October 2012.

Jim French, currently chairman and chief executive officer of Flybe, will become non-executive chairman.