ASPAC appointment highlights of the month – January/February 2019

6 March, 2019

The travel, tourism and aviation industries in the ASPAC region witness policy and upper level changes on a daily basis. It is important to not only keep tabs of these organisations direction, but to also monitor changes in executive branches to see the wider picture of the travel market. The Blue Swan Daily will keep you informed of these movements each month, with a full wrap of the key changes in the ASPAC market, while also looking forward to key appointments announced for the last couple of months.

Here are the key executive changes for January/February 2019:

  • Xiamen Airlines chairman and president Che Shanglun announced his retirement from Xiamen Airlines following the expiration of his term;
  • Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport GM retail Glyn Williams resigned, effective 31-Jan-2019, having served in the role since 2014;
  • Hainan Airlines appointed Xie Haoming as chairman on 12-Jan-2019;
  • Queenstown Airport Corporation appointed Andrew Williamson as CFO and company secretary on 18-Jan-2019;
  • China Southern Airlines announced the resignation of executive vice presidents Zhang Zifang due to retirement and Han Wensheng due to work redeployment on 17-Jan-2019;
  • Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad appointed Zainun Binti Ali as non-executive and non-independent group chairman, replacing Syed Anwar Jamalullail, effective 18-Jan-2019;
  • Bangkok Airways vice chairman and CEO Prasert Prasarttong-osoth and Bangkok Airways executive secretary to the CEO office Narumon Chainaknan tendered their resignations, effective 21-Jan-2019;
  • Bangkok Airways appointed Puttipong Prasarttong-Osoth as vice chairman and CEO, effective 24-Jan-2019, in addition to his current role as president;
  • North Queensland Airport Corporation appointed Garry Porter as general manager of Mackay Airport, effective 08-Apr-2019;
  • China Southern Airlines announced the appointment of former China Eastern Airlines president Ma Xulun as its new chairman, president and deputy secretary of the Communist Party Committee on 28-Jan-2019;
  • China Eastern Airlines appointed former CAAC deputy director general Wang Zhiqing as its new president and secretary of the Communist Party Committee;
  • Nippon Cargo Airlines announced the resignation of Yasumi Kudo and the appointment of Naoya Tazawa as chairman, effective 31-Jan-2019;
  • Virgin Australia Group announced plans to appoint Paul Scurrah as group CEO and MD. He succeeds John Borghetti, who plans to step down from 25-Mar-2019;
  • Boeing India announced it will appoint Salil Gupte as president, effective 18-Mar-2019;
  • India's Government appointed Ashwani Lohani as Air India chairman and MD. He replaces Pradeep Singh Kharola in the role, following Mr Kharola's appointment as India's Civil Aviation Secretary;
  • Xiamen Airlines announced the promotion of president Zhao Dong as the carrier's new chairman and Party secretary on 26-Feb-2019. Wang Zhixue has been appointed Party deputy secretary and president;
  • Jet Airways founder and non executive chairman Naresh Goyal agreed to resign and decrease his 51% stake in the airline;
  • Samoa's Government appointed Silimanai Ueta Banse Jr Solomona as GM of Samoa Airport Authority on 01-Mar-2019;
  • Bamboo Airways appointed Trinh Van Quyet as chairman and general director on 04-Mar-2019.