Flybe announces leadership team ahead of take-off

Flybe Ltd has announced the appointment of its new senior leadership team - composed of several highly-experienced executives from the UK and international airline industry.

The new team of senior leaders will assist CEO Dave Pflieger and the rest of the carrier 's team with the launch and growth of one of the UK 's newest airlines as it prepares to take to the skies this Spring.

Chief commercial officer Philip Saunders has held senior leadership roles in commercial, sales, marketing, and distribution at seven other airlines in the UK and around the world including British Airways, Deutsche BA, SN Brussels Airlines, Caribbean Airlines, Air Malta, Kuwait Airways, and South African Airways.

John Jackson, the chief operations and customer service officer, will be responsible for delivering operational excellence and customer service across the airline by leading Flybe 's airports, flight operations, cabin crew, people, and IT teams.

He brings with him over 30 years ' of industry experience having held previous senior roles with Continental, United Airlines, dnata, and Ravn Air Group in Alaska.

Ron Karger, the chief technical officer, has more than 32 years ' experience in aviation maintenance and technical operations with previous roles including senior leadership positions at Air Canada Jazz, WestJet, WestJet Encore, and Pacific Coastal Airlines.

Director of finance Jim Comer is a chartered management accountant with over 20 years ' experience in the aviation industry.

Involved with the previous Flybe Ltd. since 2001, Jim has held roles in Treasury, FP&A, and Finance Business partnering, and he also played an important role in several pivotal projects including the acquisition and integration of BA Connect in 2007, the successful listing of Flybe on the London Stock Exchange in 2010, and the successful sale of Flybe 's business and assets in April 2021 to Cyrus Capital Partners L.P.

CEO, Dave Pflieger said: “We are extremely excited to have such accomplished industry leaders joining Flybe 's management team.

“Each one brings a wealth of professional experience and knowledge that will prove invaluable as we look to launch the new Flybe, but also create a strong community focused airline that people love. ”