Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) has announced that C. Jeffrey Knittel is retiring as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Americas, Inc. effective June 3, 2024, after serving as the region’s top executive since 2018. He will remain with Airbus through a transition period. Robin Hayes, former CEO of JetBlue Airways, has been selected to succeed him.
Hayes brings 35 years of global aerospace leadership to Airbus having served in a series of senior executive roles at British Airways over the course of his 19-year tenure, and JetBlue, where he was CEO for nine years. From 2020 to 2022, Hayes was Chair of the IATA’s Board of Governors, where he championed the association’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Hayes will report to Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
As Chairman and CEO, Hayes will lead the commercial aircraft business, and will have responsibility for coordination among the company’s helicopters, space and defense businesses in North America. The region has more than 10,000 Airbus employees across 50 sites. Additionally, Airbus spends $15 billion annually with more than 2,000 U.S. suppliers in over 40 states.
Avation PLC (LON:AVAP) is a commercial passenger aircraft leasing company owning a fleet of aircraft which it leases to airlines across the world. Avation’s future focus are new technology low CO2 emission aircraft.
