Last year, I published a post about the airline CEOs that I respect the most, based on a question from a reader. In this post I wanted to take an updated look at this topic, as quite a bit has changed since then, including some of my top picks. I’ll share my choices, and then I’d love to hear what OMAAT readers think.
In this post:
The airline CEOs I have the most respect for
Let me start by stating that I’m compiling a list of the major airline (or airline group) CEOs that I have the most respect for. I’m not suggesting they’re the “best” airline CEOs (since that’s hard to quantify), and I’m also not suggesting that my favorites should be the same as your favorites.
Before I share my picks, let me mention a few things upfront:
- As an avgeek, I have a lot of respect for people who have dedicated their entire careers to aviation, because to me that’s really cool
- I have respect for different airline CEOs for different reasons, and I’m sure people will strongly disagree with some of my choices, and that’s fine
- I obviously don’t know everything about every airline, so I’m sure there are lots of great CEOs at smaller airlines that I’m just not that familiar with
- I’m sticking exclusively to current airline and airline group CEOs; there are lots of amazing former CEOs I respect, but I won’t be including them on this list
- I’m most impressed by CEOs who have really shaped the industry and have had a radical impact on their airline (or even country), rather than those who have just done a decent job, but haven’t really rocked the boat
With that out of the way, below are the airline CEOs I most respect, in no particular order…
Tim Clark (Emirates)
Tim Clark is Emirates’ President (not CEO), but for all practical purposes, he runs the airline. Clark is an absolute legend in the airline industry, and has quite literally transformed Dubai and Emirates. He started his career at Gulf Air in 1975, and has now been President of Emirates for two decades.
Emirates is probably the world’s best known airline brand. The airline scaled Airbus A380s in a way no other airline has. And really, Emirates has turned Dubai into what it is today. A lot of the credit for that goes to Clark, because this has all been part of his vision.
I love listening to any interview with Clark, because he’s such a bright guy. He doesn’t just have a good grasp of his own airline, but he has a pulse on the entire industry that not many people have. He’s also remarkably honest in his interviews, and isn’t just pushing the narrative that suits his interests.
Now, one thing I don’t love about Clark is that he’s not necessarily always a product guy. For example, Emirates’ 777 business class is subpar, and in 2024 the airline doesn’t have a single aircraft with high speed Wi-Fi. For that matter, Emirates’ new 777 first class was introduced in 2017, yet only nine jets have the product so far. The truth is that Clark is a numbers guy and in some ways not a product guy, and I sort of respect that, as much as I wish it were different, as a consumer.
Ben Smith (Air France-KLM)
Ben Smith has been CEO of Air France-KLM since 2018, and prior to that was President of Air Canada.
Let me start by saying that I don’t envy the role of being head of one of the “big three” European airline groups. You have huge ultra low cost carrier competition on short haul flights, and competition from Gulf carriers on long haul flights.
Looking at Smith’s counterparts, you have Lufthansa’s Carsten Spohr, who primarily seems skilled at trying to create new low cost carrier concepts to pay staff less, all while seemingly being incapable of launching a new business class product in a reasonable timeline. And then you have IAG, which… I mean… is IAG.
By comparison, I consider Air France-KLM to be very well run. Smith is a bright guy, and does a good job balancing profitability, passenger experience, and keeping employees happy. For example, one of his first orders of business when he started at Air France-KLM was shutting down Joon, Air France’s low cost carrier. Even though it would cost the airline group a bit, he seemingly thought it was worth it for morale and product consistency.
On top of that, we’ve seen Air France and KLM continue to invest in premium products, with new business class products for both Air France and KLM, plus a new first class product for Air France launching soon. While I don’t like all the decisions that have been made as a consumer (like charging for seats in business class), on balance I think Air France-KLM is the best run of the European airline groups. I’m also impressed by the pace at which Air France is becoming more premium.
Michael O’Leary (Ryanair)
Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary is yet another person who has had a huge impact on the airline industry. Richard Branson famously once said “if you want to be a millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.” Well, O’Leary is actually a billionaire, and he made his fortune from airlines.
O’Leary has been CEO of Ryanair since 1994 (yes, for three decades), and has transformed the airline into the largest in Europe. While ultra low cost carriers are now common around the globe, Ryanair was the first large, successful ultra low cost carrier. The impact of ultra low cost carriers on European aviation has been huge, and O’Leary is largely to credit for that.
As you’d expect, O’Leary also isn’t without controversy. In addition to having a raunchy sense of humor, Ryanair has used some questionable employment tactics over the years, as most employees are hired through third parties, limiting the ability of staff to collectively bargain, or get competitive wages.
But there’s no denying that O’Leary is one of the main people to thank for airfare being relatively affordable in Europe. Even if you never fly with the airline, you’ve benefited from the innovation it has brought to the industry.
Campbell Wilson (Air India)
In 2022, Campbell Wilson took over as CEO of Air India, after previously serving as CEO of Singapore Airlines subsidiary Scoot. Air India is once again under private ownership, and Wilson was given a task that seemed impossible — turning around Air India, and making it an airline people actually want to fly.
The scale of Air India’s rebirth is unlike anything we’ve seen before in the industry. I feel like it would be much easier to start an airline from scratch than to try to fix a broken airline.
Nonetheless, we’ve seen an endless number of announcements, from new aircraft orders, to new cabins, to new branding, to a new soft product. In fairness, all of these changes take time, so passengers aren’t seeing all these updates overnight. That being said, the transformation is going about as well as anyone could hope, and I can’t wait to see what Air India looks like several years down the road.
In general it’s really inspiring to see what’s going on with aviation in India. Pieter Elbers is also doing a great job as CEO of IndiGo, though I’d argue the work over there isn’t quite as transformative, simply because it doesn’t need to be.
Badr Mohammed Al Meer (Qatar Airways)
In late 2023, everyone in the industry was shocked when it was announced that Akbar Al Baker would resign as CEO of Qatar Airways, and be replaced by Badr Mohammed Al Meer.
First it’s worth acknowledging that Al Baker will go down in history as one of the most memorable and controversial airline CEOs ever, for both better and worse. While he no doubt had an incredible passion for the industry and passenger experience focus, he also said some outrageous things, and ran the airline a bit like a dictatorship, with a culture of fear.
When Al Baker was replaced by Al Meer, many people didn’t know what to expect. However, I’ve been positively delighted by him so far. For one, he’s a much softer and more collaborative person than Al Baker was. Employee morale has skyrocketed since he started at the airline, as he reversed many of Al Baker’s policies, from curfews to social media bans.
Beyond that, he just seems to take such a level-headed approach to things, which is something that feels almost out of character for Qatar Airways. So while it remains to be seen how his long term vision for the airline will evolve, I’m very impressed by what we’ve seen so far, and he’s exactly what the airline needed, in my opinion.
Ed Bastian (Delta)
Delta is the world’s most profitable airline, and for that matter, the company’s management has been very consistent with its strategy. Ed Bastian has served as CEO of the airline since 2016 (and prior to that he served as President), and has continued the company’s positioning as a premium carrier.
Look, to be honest, I don’t think Bastian is the most transformative CEO ever, in the sense that I think he mostly continued the legacy of his predecessor. I also don’t fully buy into the hype of Delta being much more premium than other US airlines.
However, Bastian deserves a lot of credit for his consistent messaging to shareholders, customers, and employees, the company’s great labor relations (especially compared to other US carriers), and Delta actually investing in its product. Running a US airline profitably is no easy task, and that’s especially true when you try to make service a priority. But it’s something that Bastian does a great job with.
The pandemic also fundamentally transformed the industry, so to me it’s noteworthy how Delta entered the pandemic as the most profitable US airline, and continued that legacy after the pandemic. Clearly Delta is doing some things right.
Scott Kirby (United)
While Ed Bastian of course has the longest history of being a successful US airline CEO, he hasn’t really done much to rock the boat, but rather just kept the company on the same course.
With that in mind, United CEO Scott Kirby has really impressed me since moving from American to United. At American (and US Airways and America West prior to that), he was known for being a bean counter. Meanwhile at United he has taken a much different approach, and is trying to make the airline more premium. I’m impressed by that, as well as the general way he communicates about his vision for the airline.
It’s great to see United becoming such a global airline with an amazing route network, and also to see United investing in the interiors of its narrow body jets.
I do wish Kirby would focus a bit more on making MileagePlus a priority in terms of value for members, while the program now instead heads in the opposite direction. Furthermore, as much as Kirby talks about making United more premium, investments in improved catering are nowhere to be seen.
Bottom line
The airline industry is one of great passion, and that’s reflected in the people who run many of the biggest airlines.
I have a lot of respect for CEOs who built something amazing or took a different direction than the previous CEOs of the airlines, which is how I picked several of these people. Let me emphasize that just because someone isn’t on the list doesn’t mean I don’t respect them — I’m sure I missed some great ones, and for that matter, I’m just not familiar in great detail with every airline CEO.
Perhaps an even more interesting list would be the airline CEOs I respect the least, but I think I’ll avoid that for now (though I’m sure OMAAT readers can guess most of them). 😉
Which airline CEOs do you most respect?
I really do not like articles like this. You personally do not know any of these CEOs. You have never worked for them in a direct capacity. You also do not know enough about the company and the decision making. The CEO in many large companies is responsible for the company overall and does not have the final say about many decisions or he/she lets the appropriate staff do their job. Some of the aspects...
I really do not like articles like this. You personally do not know any of these CEOs. You have never worked for them in a direct capacity. You also do not know enough about the company and the decision making. The CEO in many large companies is responsible for the company overall and does not have the final say about many decisions or he/she lets the appropriate staff do their job. Some of the aspects you comment on are not related to the CEO. Your analysis is based on their interviews and/or what you acquire from public information/sources.
@Sean M. beat me to it. Really should include Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew; with mention of his long-lasting CEO predecessor Tewolde GebreMariam who substantially built the airline as we know it.
Also, I think it premature to include QR's Badr Mohammed Al Meer, he's just way to new to the job, and assume would not have had hand in the airline previously as he was CEO of the airport. If your being driven by...
@Sean M. beat me to it. Really should include Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Tasew; with mention of his long-lasting CEO predecessor Tewolde GebreMariam who substantially built the airline as we know it.
Also, I think it premature to include QR's Badr Mohammed Al Meer, he's just way to new to the job, and assume would not have had hand in the airline previously as he was CEO of the airport. If your being driven by his approachable manner, then that doesn't explain some of your inclusions on the list.
O'Leary deserves to be on the list. Lots of comments about not being customer-focused, yet customers flock to the airline. I think they have voted with their wallets.
(Finally...THE POP-UP ADVERTISEMENTS ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!! HAVE YOU OUTSOURCED YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING?!)
Some strange choices - especially putting the nasty bully and disgraceful O'Leary in there. If you love flying and the experience, no one has done more to degrade it to the race to bottom to the point they have scraped the barrel. He treats passengers like scum, and his employees like scum - no one who claims to love flying should be celebrating this man.
Sorry, but no. The European passenger has no one to blame there, than the European passenger.
Over the years, there have been major and minor airlines willing to offer everything from widebodies, to dedicated flatbed biz seats, on intra-European routes...
...yet every single time, the overwhelming majority of the flying public,...
Sorry, but no. The European passenger has no one to blame there, than the European passenger.
Over the years, there have been major and minor airlines willing to offer everything from widebodies, to dedicated flatbed biz seats, on intra-European routes...
...yet every single time, the overwhelming majority of the flying public, opted towards the cheapest most bare-bones competition given.
It says a lot when the lousy North-American-style "domestic First," is still too premium for intra-European travel.
Bottom-barrel Euro travel didn't come about because of Ryanair and its leaders. Ryanair and its leaders came about because of *it*.
Honestly, I dont have any respect to CEO who says customers deserve to pay for being stupid. While one can give credit to Michael OLeary for the financials, the way he does it is just disgusting. Ryanair is an example of anti-customer experience focused company and they are proud of it.
you mean that YOU don't want to admit that an ultra low cost carrier IS what most European consumers want to pay for while the big Euro carriers charge far more and deliver far less than their US counterparts.
Why don't you have a look at on-time statistics for the big European airlines - FR comes out on top.
This disdain for FR in Europe and DL in the US highlights the losers on...
you mean that YOU don't want to admit that an ultra low cost carrier IS what most European consumers want to pay for while the big Euro carriers charge far more and deliver far less than their US counterparts.
Why don't you have a look at on-time statistics for the big European airlines - FR comes out on top.
This disdain for FR in Europe and DL in the US highlights the losers on both continents that can't admit that two airlines on two different continents have very different models but both are at the top of the industry on their respective continents.
Folks commenting on O'Leary need to understand him, his operations, his financial strength, and especially his utterances. I've flown with Ryanair countless times on intra-Europe excursions and never had an issue. There's no overbooking, and on rare occasions when they can't fly, they've provided hotel rooms, transportation, food, etc. They're more generous than other low-cost carriers--- their baggage sizers are actually bigger than published limits. As long as you don't have a roller and your...
Folks commenting on O'Leary need to understand him, his operations, his financial strength, and especially his utterances. I've flown with Ryanair countless times on intra-Europe excursions and never had an issue. There's no overbooking, and on rare occasions when they can't fly, they've provided hotel rooms, transportation, food, etc. They're more generous than other low-cost carriers--- their baggage sizers are actually bigger than published limits. As long as you don't have a roller and your bag can somehow fit under the seat in front, you're okay. All the one-star ratings come from people who don't understand that Ryanair has very clear rules that you agree to before buying a ticket. When you follow them, it's a pleasant experience. By and large, the staff are indeed pleasant and happy working for Ryanair, with schedules focused on work-life balance. Financially, their entire 737 fleet is debt-free, and they own around 97% of their planes. It's a rock-solid balance sheet. O'Leary has molded the entire organization in his image, and his brilliance (and attention-grabbing utterances) shines in his other pursuits: cattle breeding and race-winning horses. He's also committed to passing on as little as possible to his kids, much like Warren Buffett.
A very interesting submission Mr Lisle, you must either be a very lucky Ryanair customer, an employee or have little experience with other European or World airlines.
Furthermore, you do not appear to have had any personal interaction whatsoever with the obnoxious O’Leary.
You can't offer a cohesive counterargument, so you attack the interlocutor! Very mature that!
Very well stated. You know what you are getting. Precision operation. Thank you for educating readers about the finances. He IS a genius in a tough industry.
People like Harry always think they're so smart and are so smug because they think they know the rules and have never been caught out. Until of course they finally do and have to deal with the fallout. The basic lack of solidarity humans have for each other in the world, the "I'm alright Jack" attitude, is why the likes of the worst of businesses like Ryanair can keep getting away doing what they do....
People like Harry always think they're so smart and are so smug because they think they know the rules and have never been caught out. Until of course they finally do and have to deal with the fallout. The basic lack of solidarity humans have for each other in the world, the "I'm alright Jack" attitude, is why the likes of the worst of businesses like Ryanair can keep getting away doing what they do. And it absolutely is not true Ryanain provide hotel rooms or any other compensation during delays - it's actually the exact opposite, they are notorious for flouting laws and because we have such week governance, they get away with it. It is also impossible to get them to pay out EU261.
You say it’s impossible to claim EU comp from Ryanair. Mine was paid within 5 days of submitting a claim. Most likely because you weren’t entitled to compensation
Tell me precisely where in my stating facts about leading an airline appear to you as thinking I'm smart or smug?
Everyone who makes any purchase is expected to know and adhere to the rules of the purchase.
I've had trouble with Ryanair flights before and they've always been fair and claimed helplessness, which is completely understandable. That's a risk I take by booking a cheap flight with Ryanair versus one of the...
Tell me precisely where in my stating facts about leading an airline appear to you as thinking I'm smart or smug?
Everyone who makes any purchase is expected to know and adhere to the rules of the purchase.
I've had trouble with Ryanair flights before and they've always been fair and claimed helplessness, which is completely understandable. That's a risk I take by booking a cheap flight with Ryanair versus one of the more expensive supposedly more reliable airlines.
I flew out of Dublin last week and they handed out reaccommodations / comps to everyone because of a maintenance problem with an aircrfact (that too at their HQ airport). EU261 ... I've received three refunds in two years and each time it was the fault of the air traffic controllers.
Well now Mr Lisle, one is so pleased that apparently you are the exception to the rule that thousands of reviewers of Ryanair on the likes of Trustpilot, feel so enamoured with their experiences with Ryanair that it rates no more than 1.5*.
Please check out the other leading customer satisfaction surveys then come back and tell the readers that the airline is still without fault and that it is the customers who are not abiding by the “Rules”.
It seems this list is a compilation of CEOs who generate the most publicity, and aren’t necessarily the best. How about the CEOs of airlines like SQ or JAL or other airlines that perform well, offer a superior product and service but don’t seek the limelight?
Agree ... e.g. Singapore Airlines and their excellent crisis management re their SQ321 turbulence. Goh Choon Phong successfully navigated COVID, transformed his organization (four brands to two now). It's a miracle SQ can still attract premium picing.
Bastian: Confidence has crossed the line into smug superiority at Delta, with an arrogant 'we're the best' and 'we go by the rules' attitude seeping through. Not to mention the drama with how Middle Eastern airlines saga ended with him walking away with tail between his legs yet he tried to put positive spin on the situation and how he declared COVID-era handouts as "job guarantees" or something like that.
Kirby: Full of misplaced pride...
Bastian: Confidence has crossed the line into smug superiority at Delta, with an arrogant 'we're the best' and 'we go by the rules' attitude seeping through. Not to mention the drama with how Middle Eastern airlines saga ended with him walking away with tail between his legs yet he tried to put positive spin on the situation and how he declared COVID-era handouts as "job guarantees" or something like that.
Kirby: Full of misplaced pride and blind jingoism (e.g. "the greatest country in the history of Earth" memorial day messsage). Instead of endlessly yapping about how United is the best airline in the world, he should focus on actually making it one.
One has to strongly disagree with your assessment of the O’Leary character.
His personality is nothing short of objectionable at the very best.
He displays nothing less than total contempt for both his staff and passengers alike.
Low cost is no longer the true case as many EU based carriers offer traveler’s much better value for money.
It is true O’Leary was the inventor of airline ‘cattle class’ travel, as he...
One has to strongly disagree with your assessment of the O’Leary character.
His personality is nothing short of objectionable at the very best.
He displays nothing less than total contempt for both his staff and passengers alike.
Low cost is no longer the true case as many EU based carriers offer traveler’s much better value for money.
It is true O’Leary was the inventor of airline ‘cattle class’ travel, as he sets low standard of passenger comfort and experience, then fails to achieve it.
His wealth creation ability does not justify anyone’s high regard for this objectionable creature.
Afterthought …. One failed to mention the fact that a Ryanair flight does not appear to have been reviewed by OMAAT.
A swift Google search will reveal what the passenger experience actually is on Ryanair.
On most review sites, with a scale of 1 to 5, there are more 1* ratings than all others combined.
I look forward to reading a OMAAT review soon, it will be interesting to learn if the O’Leary name is still revered.
Ryanair runs a better operation than Spirit and is a whole lot more successful.
Let's not forget that many legacy European airlines provide no service compared to US airlines. No complimentary full beverage and snack choice on any intra-European routes on nearly all Euro carriers. No seatback video on any of them. No free Wifi.
You don't become the largest airline in Europe by not providing something Europeans want but let's not kid ourselves...
Ryanair runs a better operation than Spirit and is a whole lot more successful.
Let's not forget that many legacy European airlines provide no service compared to US airlines. No complimentary full beverage and snack choice on any intra-European routes on nearly all Euro carriers. No seatback video on any of them. No free Wifi.
You don't become the largest airline in Europe by not providing something Europeans want but let's not kid ourselves that the bar in Europe is much, much lower than in the US.
One must not forget the fact Mr Dunn, that an airline’s success is not exclusively influenced by a healthy balance sheet.
O’Leary might have a business model which suits both him and his shareholders, however, his customers are far less impressed.
Many who have tried this airline are onetime passengers only.
Some unfortunately have no alternative than to suffer the consequences due to financial constraints, etc.
The Ratner smuck seller had...
One must not forget the fact Mr Dunn, that an airline’s success is not exclusively influenced by a healthy balance sheet.
O’Leary might have a business model which suits both him and his shareholders, however, his customers are far less impressed.
Many who have tried this airline are onetime passengers only.
Some unfortunately have no alternative than to suffer the consequences due to financial constraints, etc.
The Ratner smuck seller had a similar attitude towards his customers and look what happened to him!
yes, we know that you and others want to turn your ranking of the industry into subjective metrics over which you and only you can make the final determination.
Delta is the most valuable airline in the world to its owners followed by Ryanair.
See above.
Ryanair didn't become the largest airline in Europe by hoodwinking them.
The European legacies offer very little MORE than Ryanair and far LESS than the US...
yes, we know that you and others want to turn your ranking of the industry into subjective metrics over which you and only you can make the final determination.
Delta is the most valuable airline in the world to its owners followed by Ryanair.
See above.
Ryanair didn't become the largest airline in Europe by hoodwinking them.
The European legacies offer very little MORE than Ryanair and far LESS than the US legacies.
It is amazing how blind some are to how well US carriers do in their domestic markets compared to their most direct competitors.
It has been stated on many airline review sites that “Ryanair set some of the lowest standards of customer care in the airline industry” …. Furthermore …. “They fail to achieve them”.
Surely one must see that attempting to defend the indefensible leads the reader to form a negative opinion ….
What has happened to United is truly stunning.
This may sound minor, but, United has the absolute best IT and App I have ever seen. You'd have to fly United on a regular basis to understand.
If there is a delay of ANY kind, I get a text. If a gate is changed, I get a text, if the aircraft changes, I get a text. And so on.
I once found out I had a...
What has happened to United is truly stunning.
This may sound minor, but, United has the absolute best IT and App I have ever seen. You'd have to fly United on a regular basis to understand.
If there is a delay of ANY kind, I get a text. If a gate is changed, I get a text, if the aircraft changes, I get a text. And so on.
I once found out I had a delay because United texted me a food voucher as an apology. Apparently, the voucher communication beat out the communication about the actual delay, which came a few seconds later.
Oh: And usually within 10 minutes of landing I'll get a text survey asking me how things went.
Again, that all seems minor, but communication is a big deal in my book. Just giving my opinion and experience with United.
Campbell Wilson honestly had done nothing and had not achieved anything yet with Air India, just like when he failed to reinvent the wheel while at scoot. The airline is just starting to turn a corner and is in no way profitable doing it burning through billions as it is now. He is just take a page out of the luxury handbook from his Singapore airlines days and doing a James Hogan now. Let’s see...
Campbell Wilson honestly had done nothing and had not achieved anything yet with Air India, just like when he failed to reinvent the wheel while at scoot. The airline is just starting to turn a corner and is in no way profitable doing it burning through billions as it is now. He is just take a page out of the luxury handbook from his Singapore airlines days and doing a James Hogan now. Let’s see whether he will be Tim Clark a decade down the road, but for now he has done nothing yet. He might even be at the CEO as a puppet of the 25% sharehold of Singapore Airlines.
People who had invented or reinvented the wheel on the segments they are operating in deserves more mentioning especially the curios lack of East Asian airline CEOs in the mentioning here like Starlux’s Chiang Kuo Wei or SQ’s Goh Choon Phong.
While Air India isn’t profitable yet, their full FY24 expected results is a loss of 7,000 cr INR, or ~$850M USD which is a 40% improvement from FY23, so they aren’t “burning through billions”.
This is after the airline has started delivering large airline orders including the new A350s with a new aircraft every 6 days - despite this growth the revenue per KM has doubled.
There’s a clear turnaround trajectory in the right direction...
While Air India isn’t profitable yet, their full FY24 expected results is a loss of 7,000 cr INR, or ~$850M USD which is a 40% improvement from FY23, so they aren’t “burning through billions”.
This is after the airline has started delivering large airline orders including the new A350s with a new aircraft every 6 days - despite this growth the revenue per KM has doubled.
There’s a clear turnaround trajectory in the right direction given it’s only been a year, but the results are encouraging. Given Starlux had its first profitable quarter earlier this year (4 years in) - he deserves far more credit than you’ve given him albeit it’s still early.
There is nothing "premium" about Delta's domestic first class PBI-LGA run. The planes are not clean, period. Of course, if you want to fly in domestic first class between PBI and LGA, it's either Delta or nothing. I had the extreme displeasure of sitting next to Mr. Bastian on such a flight recently. I had no idea who he was, but customers and flight attendants were fawning all over him. I gave him some constructive...
There is nothing "premium" about Delta's domestic first class PBI-LGA run. The planes are not clean, period. Of course, if you want to fly in domestic first class between PBI and LGA, it's either Delta or nothing. I had the extreme displeasure of sitting next to Mr. Bastian on such a flight recently. I had no idea who he was, but customers and flight attendants were fawning all over him. I gave him some constructive criticism; he had an answer for everything; if he didn't, it was "We're working on it." Not my type of guy, but probably neither are any of the other people you mention, either.
Scott Kirby, like Ben Smith, has undoubtedly learned from his mistakes.
Let's not forget that both have significant black marks on their executive records - including Kirby's endorsement of the DL/US slot swap which ended up, net-net, giving DL 1/4 of LGA's slots for $60 million.
AF/KLM is on a roll and the SAS deal has the potential to significantly rearrange the European alliance scene.
Bastian is not terribly charismatic but he is...
Scott Kirby, like Ben Smith, has undoubtedly learned from his mistakes.
Let's not forget that both have significant black marks on their executive records - including Kirby's endorsement of the DL/US slot swap which ended up, net-net, giving DL 1/4 of LGA's slots for $60 million.
AF/KLM is on a roll and the SAS deal has the potential to significantly rearrange the European alliance scene.
Bastian is not terribly charismatic but he is a team player and THAT is what you should be looking for in a CEO of a large corporation. There are lots of good, sharp people at DL and Bastian simply pulls it all together and touts his team - which is a stark contrast to some of the other people on your list.
As for whether a company is premium or not, the best economic definition is that you manage to get more money than your competitors for the same or similar products.
Given that DL flies fewer ASMs than AA and UA but generates $5 billion more in revenue than AA and $4 billion more than UA - most of which turns into profit, then that seems like the only measurable definition of premium.
Given how large airlines are, nitpicking at details doesn't and can't tell the story. Not for Emirates and not for Delta.
Is a hotdog stand that sells lower quality food for higher prices at a baseball stadium more premium than one that sells hotdogs out on the street? That's just simply milking a consumer basis that doesn't have many options.
That's exactly what Delta is to these captive hubs like SLC, ATL, DTW, and MSP, where they make the majority of its money. That doesn't mean they're more premium, just that they're good at exploiting the...
Is a hotdog stand that sells lower quality food for higher prices at a baseball stadium more premium than one that sells hotdogs out on the street? That's just simply milking a consumer basis that doesn't have many options.
That's exactly what Delta is to these captive hubs like SLC, ATL, DTW, and MSP, where they make the majority of its money. That doesn't mean they're more premium, just that they're good at exploiting the market.
Delta is good at doing business and being profitable, but no that doesn't make them more or less premium.
let me guess.
You are a United or American employee that can't stand to admit that Delta has managed to do in the 46 years of deregulation what AA and UA weren't smart enough or were incapable of doing.
AA, DL and UA among the big 3 and AS and HA nationwide are the only legacy carrier survivors in the US industry.
DL isn't holding anybody captive. There is competition in their hubs...
let me guess.
You are a United or American employee that can't stand to admit that Delta has managed to do in the 46 years of deregulation what AA and UA weren't smart enough or were incapable of doing.
AA, DL and UA among the big 3 and AS and HA nationwide are the only legacy carrier survivors in the US industry.
DL isn't holding anybody captive. There is competition in their hubs as there is in any other hub.
And, more significantly, DL is the largest airline by domestic revenue and number of flights in BOS, NYC, and LAX and number 2 in SEA.
Neither AA or UA have managed to build and sustain a new hub post deregulation in someone else's hub.
DL was the 6th largest US airline in 1978 and is the largest by revenue now - even while burning $1 billion less in jet fuel than AA or UA.
DL doesn't succeed at being a premium airline because of how they price their product.
They are a premium airline because customers PAY more to DL per seat mile than to any other US airline.
Get over this chip on your shoulder and admit that DL has simply run a better airline and a better business and any objective assessment proves it.
AA and UA could have done the same thing but have not succeeded at it.
DL IS the most premium US airline because not just DL's customers but every other US airline customer make it so.
I didn't mention a single word of AA or UA. I exactly called out that Delta runs a very successful business with great profitability.
Profitable does not equal premium. Ryanair is one of the most profitable airlines, would you call them premium?
You clearly understand my point about what makes a premium airline with your response to my other comment below.
you discussed hub captivity and said it is an excuse for why DL makes so much money.
Again, why couldn't or didn't AA or UA figure out how to make its hubs deliver what DL's hubs have delivered IF that is the reason for DL's profitability? All 3 have been deregulated for the same length of time.
And it is downright laughable to think that DL makes enough money in ATL, DTW, MSP and...
you discussed hub captivity and said it is an excuse for why DL makes so much money.
Again, why couldn't or didn't AA or UA figure out how to make its hubs deliver what DL's hubs have delivered IF that is the reason for DL's profitability? All 3 have been deregulated for the same length of time.
And it is downright laughable to think that DL makes enough money in ATL, DTW, MSP and SLC to subsidize its hubs in BOS, NYC, LAX and SEA and STILL manage to deliver billions of dollars MORE in total profits than any other US airline.
I don't know what kind of drugs you do but I want some of them if you believe that DL can manage to gouge customers in just 4 hubs - which have smaller local markets - and be THAT much more profitable overall.
Again, DL runs a better business and a better airline and you and others can't stand to admit that reality.
And Ryanair has higher margins -but so did Southwest at one time - but RYAAY delivers much less revenue than DL.
Profitability and premium revenue are two very different things.
Premium REVENUE is about what customers pay. FR/RYAAY carries lots of people for a lot less than DL/DAL.
and FR pays its pay people much less than DL. DL and the other US airlines could make even more money than they do if they paid their people less.
You'd do well to read Delta's own investor material about where their profitability comes from, Tim. You seem shocked by something Delta actually says: they make their profits from the four core hubs.
You can yell, scream, and repeat your own drivel, but Yoloswag is simply echoing Delta's own investor slides.
Ed Bastian as a team player: look at the YouTube video announcing some sort of a partnership with Tom Brady. Focus on the hilarious interplay of smug grins and a knowing smirks, as if each other's brilliance is an inside joke only they truly understood.
Hopefully Ben Smith won't turn Air France-KLM into Air Canada. He didn't do very well there based upon what I've seen of AC.
I believe that you stand corrected...Ryanair is the most profitable airline, not DL.
Ben Smith isnt fit to shine Pieter Elbers' (IndiGo) boots. Elbers should have been the AF KLM CEO if it wasnt for the BS show that really is BS. O'Leary and Ed Bastian should be way higher up the list.
US carriers can never be truly premium. The other nations have advantages of being their country's primarily flag carriers along with a single central hub to funnel operations out of.
US carriers will never be follow the same model like Qatar or other ME3 can, where their entire airport operations is designed to cater to them. This complete enables them to elevate the passenger experience to the next level.
You forgot to mention that US carriers are in a handful of countries that pay their employees top-tier airline salaries - and US carriers are at the top of the top.
The Middle East airlines esp. use the cruise ship model of employment of hiring employees from developing world countries
Like cruise lines, if passenger experience is the only factor then the ME airlines have succeeded.
If human rights and economic advancement is a...
You forgot to mention that US carriers are in a handful of countries that pay their employees top-tier airline salaries - and US carriers are at the top of the top.
The Middle East airlines esp. use the cruise ship model of employment of hiring employees from developing world countries
Like cruise lines, if passenger experience is the only factor then the ME airlines have succeeded.
If human rights and economic advancement is a goal, then European, US and a select few E. Asian airlines balance their objectives of caring for their employees as much as they care for their customers.
Air France and KLM CEO is Ben Smith however each has its own CEO, Anne Rigail and Marjan Rintel
Off topic, but might be newsworthy enough to write an article about the Maldive’s new Jew Ban being implemented.
@Lucky
It's Israeli citizens not Jews. You know this yet you chose to frame your comment that way.
True I agree 100%. But to be fair Lucky (and most the media) referred to Trump’s travel ban as a “Muslim ban” which included non-Muslim countries (North Korea and Venezuela) and didn’t include many majority-Muslim countries, including (ironically here) the Maldives. Just trying to keep things equitable.
If Ben erred before, it is not a reason for you to err. Take the high road.
Just another country added to the list of countries Israelis are excluded from, I fear the list will grow the longer the Gaza conflict continues.
@Creditcrunch
It's the shortcoming of their decision to continue the genocide, just like how they said that it's Hamas' fault that "Palestinians" (although the West Bank has nothing to do with this at all) are dying since they attacked first. No differences.
War doesn’t equal genocide. Hamas is in the West Bank too you terrorist sympathizer. Good to know who supports rape/murder/kidnap.
Agreed, war does not normally mean genocide. But here, in the war by this crazed Israel of Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir, it definitely does. I used to like and sympathize with Israel (although that did not extend to the Zionism that underpinned it). No more. It is now a demented, immoral, pariah state with citizens who massively support the industrial scale thirst for avenging the Hamas attack on October 7th. Why should a nation of...
Agreed, war does not normally mean genocide. But here, in the war by this crazed Israel of Netanyahu, Smotrich, and Ben-Gvir, it definitely does. I used to like and sympathize with Israel (although that did not extend to the Zionism that underpinned it). No more. It is now a demented, immoral, pariah state with citizens who massively support the industrial scale thirst for avenging the Hamas attack on October 7th. Why should a nation of killers have the right to enjoy sun, sea, and surf after the current rampage? Hats off to President Muizzi for his principled decision. Israelis should be banned from the world's holiday spots until there is an 'Israeli' nation in the Middle East that enjoys true democracy and equal rights for ALL communities living within. As Gideon Levy said, Israelis will not change their apartheid practices until they start paying a price internationally. So end the impunity. Here's looking at you India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, etc.
Or good to know Who supports unlawful Justice decisions, land steal, Orange trees burning, , wáter access, land and Frontier seggregation, intimidation at militar posts (all if this prior prior prior to Oct 7)
Maybe IL voters thought Ben Gvir was Cinderella instead an extremist ....
surprised you didn't feature Shai Weiss of Virgin Atlantic - he's one of the most approachable, responds to customer e-mails himself, honestly a real star
List is acceptable though questionable; any list like this that includes and US based Airline CEO loses credibility immediately. They are nothing but money hungry and the service of US carriers compared to the international one is laughter and a joke. So yes, a list with any US CEO is not credible.
Any list that excludes Mesfin Tasew of Ethiopian Airlines is incomplete. Not only has he basically profitably managed an airline whose home market has been involved in civil war and economic challenges, but also has cemented his position within the organisation against all sorts of political odds, as well as sealed sweetheart deals with both Boeing and Airbus for fleet expansion. All this in just two years at the helm.
As a colleague once said...
Any list that excludes Mesfin Tasew of Ethiopian Airlines is incomplete. Not only has he basically profitably managed an airline whose home market has been involved in civil war and economic challenges, but also has cemented his position within the organisation against all sorts of political odds, as well as sealed sweetheart deals with both Boeing and Airbus for fleet expansion. All this in just two years at the helm.
As a colleague once said about him, Mesfin is simply a different species. And the more you watch the masterful way he manages the challenges at ET, the more convinced you have to be of that.
Good insight- any sources you’d suggest to learn more about him?
Lucky, how did our favorite commenter manage to blackmail or bribe you to put Ed Bastian on the list and mention Delta as premium? ;)
I'm waiting for the dozen "triggered" responses from TD.
Yes, how dare Bastian not be #1 on the list!
Alex Cruz as an honorable mention? Ha!
Always followed Pedro Heilbron CEO of Copa Airlines with interest and I know it’s too early to tell but Sean Doyle BA CEO is making inroads on changing the Cruz culture.