A leading firm of headhunters has been appointed to help fill the newly created role of chief operating officer, replacing two executives who left in the wake of chaos during the terminal’s opening.

The new recruit will be a key lieutenant of chief executive Willie Walsh, who last month said he accepted responsibility for problems at Terminal 5 that led to flight cancellations, long delays and a backlog of lost luggage.

BA is looking both inside and outside the aviation industry to fill a post some think will provide a successor to Walsh in the next five years.

One source said: “It is a very big job but it is premature to say this will be his successor.”

Executive recruitment firm Whitehead Mann is leading the search but BA said it was using a range of methods to find the right candidate.

A BA spokesman said: “We are looking for somebody with a wide range of operations and customer service experience.  They must be at a very senior level and have proven leadership skills.”