Air Seychelles chief executive Cramer Ball has resigned, revealing he is considering a “number of career options” as the airline announced South African Airways general manager commercial Manoj Papa as his replacement.
Ball, formerly Etihad regional general manager for Asia Pacific South and Australasia, was seconded to Etihad equity alliance partner Air Seychelles in February 2012.
Since then, the airline has implemented a turnaround strategy designed to revive the ailing airline, with the airline returning to profitability in Ball’s first year in the role.
Air Seychelles chairman and Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs and Transport Joel Morgan paid tribute to Ball’s achievements.
“Cramer Ball has been instrumental in revitalising our national carrier, and setting the company on an exciting new path to growth,” he said.
“He led the airline into profitability in his first year of leadership and has rebuilt the foundations of this proud company, introducing new aircraft, new routes, new standards of service and new opportunities for the airline’s employees.”
Meanwhile, Ball hoped to offer an update on the next phase of his career in the “near future” as he considers a "number" of options.
“Given this situation, I am resigning to be fair to both the business and to the staff who have supported me, in order to enable a comprehensive handover and a smooth transition to the next CEO,” he said.
“We have not only turned around the airline, but we have created the foundations for a very bright future for our staff and future generations of Seychellois.”
Ball will remain with the airline until late February, when the full year financial results will be presented to the board. In September, it reported a second quarter revenue increase of 139% citing international expansion as well as the Etihad codeshare as behind the rise.
Papa will offically commence as chief executive on March 1.
