The worst-kept secret in international aviation was made public today when Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways formally announced that James Hogan, late of Gulf Air, has been appointed chief executive.
Hogan spent four years at Gulf Air, with a remit to redefine and restructure the carrier, and had been widely tipped to take the helm of Etihad after stepping down from Gulf Air at the end of September. His appointment at Etihad is effective immediately.
Hogan is likely to have a lot more scope at the helm of Etihad than he did at Gulf Air, which has been left rather exposed since Abu Dhabi's government, which was a shareholder in Gulf Air, last year pulled out of its involvement there to concentrate on developing Etihad.
The carrier has ambitious expansion plans, having launched 35 long-haul routes in as many months. It says it expects to carry four million passengers in 2007.
Hogan has a wealth of business experience in the region and says he believes "we can position Etihad as a leader in the international and local markets".
He is taking one of his most trusted lieutenants with him on the move. James Rigney, former head of corporate strategy at Gulf Air, takes on the role of vice-president finance at Etihad alongside his former colleague.
on October 25, 2006 6:31 PM | Reply
I still need to understand the reason for the shift. I think there was more left to do at Gulf Air and that would have been more of a challenging task to finish then to take over a new project. I just wonder that with Rigney joining Etihad as well, there may be more on Gulf Air's exit gate that is linked to the entry gate of Ethihad Airways.
Naveen Chawla