Bob Ayling is a British businessman who has been involved in many high profile companies and organisations.

Ayling, a solicitor, began his career in the Department of Trade and Industry in 1973. In 1985 he joined British Airways, holding a series of senior roles including Director of marketing and operations. In this role many hold him responsible for the "dirty tricks" campaign against the fledgling Virgin Atlantic. Following a libel suit BA was faced with a legal bill of up to £3m, damages to Sir Richard Branson (owner of Virgin) of £500,000 and a further £110,000 to his airline.

Ayling was appointed Chief Executive of British Airways in 1996. His tenure coincided with one of the most turbulent periods in BA's history. In his first two years Ayling narrowly avoided a pilot's strike and suffered a cabin crew strike which cost the airline hundreds of millions of pounds. In 1997 Ayling announced the end of BA's Union Jack livery, adopting instead a series of ethnic tailfins. This was highly controversial, although BA insisted they were popular around the world they were unpopular with BA's core customers - British travellers who make up 40% of the carrier's passengers and North American customers. In 1999 BA announced that half of the fleet would receive a new union flag design. Aylings successor would announce in 2001 that the ethnic tailfins would be removed altogether.

In 1998 BA announced the establishment of a low cost carrier, Go Fly. Another key policy of Ayling's time as CEO was the pursuit of a merger with American Airlines, however this was ultimately unsuccessful due to the conditions placed on the deal by regulatory authorities, the most painful of which was the sacrificing of landing slots at Heathrow.

In 1999 British Airways reported a 50% slump in profits, its worst since privitisation. In March 2000 Bob Ayling was removed from his postion. British Airways announced Rod Eddington as his successor in May.

On May 23 2000 Ayling was force to resign from the New Millennium Experience Company , the company which ran the Millenium Dome. The Millenium Commission demanded the resignation in return for continued investment, it was concerned that the existing management had a poor history of controlling costs.