Etihad are preparing for a transition process, following the announcement its President and CEO James Hogan will step down from the role in the second half of 2017.
The Australian airline exec and the board had first initiated the transition process last year with the formation in May of the Etihad Aviation Group, a diversified global aviation and travel organisation, the airline stated.
Hogan will join an investment company along with Etihad Aviation Group CFO James Rigney, who will also leave the company later this year. A global search for a new Group CEO and a new Group CFO is already underway.
Chairman of the Board of the Etihad Aviation Group, H.E. Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei said the airline was grateful to Hogan, whom in 10 years “has overseen the growth of the company from a 22 plane regional carrier into a 120 aircraft global airline and aviation group, with seven airline equity partnerships which together serve more than 120 million guests every year”.
Commenting on current priorities for the business, H.E. Mazrouei said it was to “position the company for continued success in a challenging market”.
“We must ensure that the airline is the right size and the right shape. We must continue to improve cost efficiency, productivity and revenue. We must progress and adjust our airline equity partnerships even as we remain committed to the strategy.”
Last month, Etihad Airways unveiled plans to create a new European leisure airline group in a joint venture with TUI AG. A new codeshare agreement with Lufthansa and an aircraft leasing agreement between airberlin and Lufthansa were also announced. As a minority shareholder, Etihad is actively participating in the next phase of Alitalia’s restructuring plan.
