Airlines for America (A4A) announced on 18 August that Chris Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire, will become its next president and chief executive.
Sununu will assume the trade group’s top leadership position starting on 9 September, when longtime CEO Nick Calio will step down after 15 years in that role.
Chief among Sununu’s challenges will be working with airlines and the US government to overhaul the country’s ageing air traffic control system, funding for which was approved in early July as part of President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”.
”Strengthening and modernising our system is vital for making the safest mode of transportation even safer and more efficient and maintaining the global competitiveness of the US airline industry,” Sununu says.
United Airlines chief executive Scott Kirby praised Sununu’s post-politics appointment, calling the airline industry “one of the most essential enablers of strong economic growth here in the US”.
Faye Malarkey Black, chief executive of the Regional Airline Association, hailed the move as a potential boost for small and mid-sized communities that depend on air service for connectivity and economic activity.
”Our respective associations, while distinct, can also make a big difference to smaller communities – and the passengers who travel there – by working together for a safer and stronger airspace infrastructure,” she says. ”We believe Governor Sununu will be an exceptional leader at A4A and look forward to working together as he takes on that new role.”
Sununu made his mark as a business-friendly Republican while serving as New Hampshire’s governor for four terms, from January 2017 to January 2025. His tenure was characterised by fiscal conservatism and tax-cutting policies.
He did not run for a fifth term and was succeeded by Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte following the 2024 presidential election.
“Chris has consistently demonstrated strategic vision, operational expertise and a knack for getting hard things done,” says Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines and vice-chair of A4A’s board of directors.
Calio, who joined A4A in 2011, will work in an advisory role through year’s end.
”Under his leadership, A4A rebranded and strongly positioned itself as an influential voice in shaping legislative and regulatory policies affecting air travel and cargo shipping,” the association says.
