ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the strategic turnaround of a national airline-goes further by marrying entrepreneurship and management through the notion of enterprising management. It looks at the implementation of turnaround strategies at legacy carriers, specifically the Irish flag carrier, Aer Lingus. The Aer Lingus case study demonstrates that the need for effective, path creating leadership in corporations has never been greater. It is believed that leaders can start to embrace turbulence and release value by moving along the cost-service continuum as a process to improve productivity and regain market momentum. In the Darwinian evolutionary race, it is not necessarily the strongest that survive but the most adaptable. There is little doubt that the airline business is changing rapidly and that carriers must evolve or risk extinction. The Aer Lingus management team led by Willie Walsh proved that this was possible even in the highly competitive and rapidly evolving air transport business.
