Flair Airlines’ Post

Today marks a significant milestone in my carrier as I celebrate 20 years in aviation industry. On this day 20 years ago, I walked into the offices of Íslandsflug/Icebird for my first job in accounting. Just a month later, it was announced that Íslandsflug and Air Atlanta Icelandic would merge. Going through this merger and change management so early in my carrier presented numerous opportunities and challenges. I learned a lot from these changes and challenges in the following years. I ended being 12 years with Air Atlanta Icelandic and most of the time as Director Financial Planning and Control, where I built the airline's BI and reporting infrastructure. Over the past 20 years, I have held leadership roles at three airlines: I spent 12 years at Air Atlanta Icelandic, primarily as the Director of Financial Planning and Control; over three years at WOW Air as Director of Financial Planning and Analysis; and, for the past five years, I have been at PLAY airlines as Founder and Director of FP&A. As a Founder of PLAY Airlines in Iceland, I bring over two decades of expertise in the aviation industry. I am a strategic leader with a passion for innovation and creating value for our customers, stakeholders, and employees. My extensive experience in airline strategy integrates cutting-edge business intelligence with a proactive approach to challenging established processes. In my current role, I harness my comprehensive expertise in airline operations, commercial strategy, payments, acquiring, airline insurances, technical implementations, manufacturing process improvement, and financial control to drive significant enhancements in both operational and financial performance at PLAY Airlines. Central to our strategic focus is DATA and Business Intelligence, a project I have pioneered from its inception. We have made substantial investments in our infrastructure to support predictive analytics and develop a real-time route profitability platform, fundamentally transforming our decision-making processes and boosting commercial success. I am responsible for developing and executing data-driven strategies, policies, and processes that promote the growth and sustainability of the airline. My duties also include managing budgeting, forecasting, and reporting, and providing insights and recommendations to senior management and the board of directors. I am proud to be part of a diverse and dynamic team committed to excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement. #carrieer #aviation #change #innovation #BI #DATA #

We're pleased to have Andre Viljoen, Managing Director and CEO at Fiji Airways, take the CEO Mainstage at APEX Global EXPO 2024. Andre Viljoen, born in South Africa, has 33 years of seasoned airline experience and joined Fiji Airways as Managing Director and Chief Executive officer in October 2015. He holds an Honours Degree in Commerce and is a Chartered Accountant. He started his airline career with Comair British Airways in South Africa in the 1980’s as Financial Manager and soon grew to the position of Group Financial and Commercial Director, which he held for more than 10 years. He played an instrumental role in elevating Comair from a small regional airline to becoming South African Airways principal domestic competitor flying the British Airways brand. He then went on in 1992 to join South African Express Airways, the largest regional airline in South Africa, as Chief Operating Officer. He devised and led a turnaround program to restore the airline back to profitability and to expand its fleet to include regional jets. In 1995, he joined South African Airways, South Africa’s National Airline, as Chief Financial Officer and took over as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2000 until 2005. He implemented an aggressive transformation program known as “Perfecting the Basics” which restored the airline back to profitability by 2002. The transformation program also earned the airline a Skytrax 4 Star Rating, as well as many travel awards such as “The Leading Airline to Africa”. He then went on to join the tour operator group Cullinan Holdings Limited as Chief Executive Officer from 2006. The group is well known for its travel brands Thomson Holidays, Thomson Tours and Pentravel. In 2009, he joined Air Mauritius, Mauritius’ National Airline, initially as Chief Financial Officer and then from 2010 as Chief Executive Officer. In 2012, he launched a successful turnaround program known as the “7 Step Recovery Plan”. The plan was focused on re-balancing the company’s network, improving revenue management and commercial, as well as re-fleeting with new generation aircraft. The plan restored the airline back to profitability by 2014 and it has ordered 6 Airbus A350-900 new generation aircraft to replace its aged fleet of Airbus A340-300’s. The service quality improvement program implemented as part of the 7 Step Recovery Plan has earned Air Mauritius the Skytrax 4 Star Rating, as well as the travel award of “Leading Airline to the Indian Ocean”. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from Andre's extensive experience and insights. Join us at APEX Global EXPO 2024 and be part of the future of aviation ➡️ https://bit.ly/3hv6bea #GlobalEXPO #PaxEx #AviationIndustry

Is the airline industry's hiring spree coming to a close? After a post-pandemic hiring surge that added nearly 194,000 jobs, U.S. airlines are now cooling their hiring efforts. Challenges like rising labor costs, delayed plane deliveries, and increased operational expenses are causing companies to pause and re-evaluate. For instance, Southwest Airlines expects to cut 2,000 employees by year-end, while other airlines are taking similar steps to balance staffing with demand. What do you think? Is the industry making the right call in scaling back hiring? Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eB_JKJrv

McKinsey & Company’s solution to Qantas being the worst airline in the developed world and the feckless, gormless, greedy, dishonest taxpayer parasitising leadership with which it is saddled (Vanessa Hudson) — based on McKinsey’s past performance: bribe air traffic controllers and fabricate the time (a la their criminal conduct in South Africa) to improve on-time performance, then flog pharmacy-grade heroin to people waiting to board so that they get addicted and brain-addled and forget why they’re there (a la OxyContin). To be clear, McKinsey and Co has materially contributed to the deaths of over 700,000 people in America due to their role turbocharging the opioid epidemic. They’ve paid damages for their role in driving addiction in primary school — yup, you read that right — PRIMARY SCHOOL — children. No firm with leadership possessed of a skerrick of integrity, no CEO with even mere ethics molecules — would let McKinsey through the door. Well done Nessa. You’ve shown us who and what you are.

In the realm of business and politics, a notable aspect that intrigues many observers is the astute ability of individuals to engage in persuasive discourse while seemingly looking their constituents or shareholders in the eye and espousing narratives that may deviate from the stark realities of the situation. Take, for instance, the current scenario unfolding within Qantas Airways. Amidst a backdrop of declining profits, Qantas finds itself under the scrutinous gaze of its shareholders, who understandably expect robust returns on their investments. Yet, amidst this financial turbulence, the leadership of Qantas, epitomized by its spokesperson, finds itself engaged in a delicate balancing act of maintaining shareholder confidence while simultaneously addressing the pressing need to enhance the airline's service offerings. The spokesperson's rhetoric pivots on the assertion that their primary directive is the augmentation of Qantas' service quality. However, this ostensibly noble pursuit could potentially clash with the imperative of maximizing profitability. By investing in service enhancements, such as improved amenities or customer experience initiatives, Qantas may incur significant expenses, thereby exerting downward pressure on its future profit margins. This juxtaposition underscores a fundamental tension inherent within corporate leadership – the need to appease shareholders' profit expectations while concurrently espousing a commitment to customer-centric values and service excellence. In this delicate dance of rhetoric and reality, the challenge lies in striking a harmonious equilibrium between short-term financial gains and the long-term sustainability and reputation of the organization. Ah, the mystical art of seamlessly merging two contradictory goals into one elusive, yet seemingly attainable objective – it's the hallmark of business moguls and politicians alike, earning them their hefty paychecks and status as modern-day magicians! Picture this: they juggle shareholder demands for sky-high profits with the promise of delivering top-notch service, all while maintaining a straight face and a gleam in their eye. It's like watching a magician pull a rabbit out of a hat, except instead of a rabbit, it's a balance sheet, and instead of a hat, it's a boardroom. Who knew making millions could be such a magical feat of prestidigitation?

Elliott's Full Slate of Nominees for Southwest Airlines Board "If elected, Elliott is confident that these Candidates will chart a brighter future for Southwest, provide the Board with much-needed expertise and relevant industry experience and help restore the Company's position as an industry-leading airline with best-in-class profitability. "The strong qualifications of these Candidates stand in contrast to those of the current Board, which prior to Elliott's June 10 letter lacked a single independent director with airline experience, and which continues to lack relevant experience in other key areas necessary to drive Southwest's evolution." The Southwest situation is reminiscent of the state of the board of Canadian Pacific Railway prior to a radical restructuring by Pershing Square. Although a poster child for "good governance" and winner of multiple "good governance" awards, the CP board did not have a single independent member with railroad experience and track record. And, for five years running, it had been the worst performing Class I North American railroad. Poor selection criteria for public company boards are not restricted to Southwest and CP. This is a prevalent result of the public company governance model. #corporategovernance #governance #boardsofdirectors #shareholdervalue #shareholderactivism #institutionalinvestors

So it’s 2024 and here is an example of how an under performing, over inflated product and national airline service - can no longer be sustained.. it has to be Eco Friendly and far more passenger availability in all regional areas… Each State in Australia needs frequent and low cost (1/4 of the previous airfare prices) to meet the viability of consumers wanting to Jet over to say Newcastle for a day and then home to Bathurst for example - and for the cost of the petrol on the trip or less that’s $150 ($75 each way)! Now you say ohh this is Absurd and your dreaming.. well no it is possible. By reinventing the type of Fuel and the Passengers being part of the community.. where the sustainable power is generated by Lithium X Sodium batteries - and pilot tested etc.. to fly like the Jetsons! 🛩️ We have this evident opportunity now to reset and readjust the whole of history into what will be sustainable, what is possible and the demand for Green Infrastructure is high. Thankyou for reading and grasping the changing landscape of energy and technology for a wider community that is not governed by big-corporations. 💫🦉🌱🐬

The core duty of airline executives is to make sure planes fly and fly on time, at acceptable percentage of time. What does it say about airline executives if they have to hire consultants to do their core job.

Is Qantas flying off into increasingly distant financial orbits? In the top sphere of American management consultancies are McKinsey & Co, and under Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, it has an airline that is recharging and their bills are expected to revolutionise operations for Qantas. A failing Qantas on-time performance is to be fixed permanently. Taking briefs to McKinsey & Co, Boston Consulting (BCG) and Bain & Company is about paying for incomparable service. McKinsey & Co is an American consulting firm with global feats and global knowledge, that has people that are well paid to work there for the week which spans from 70 to 80 hours. If you want to think big, you have to be big. And the size of employees and their skills spread is why these top three firms with global reach are recognised for unbelievable exploits. But it troubles many Australians to think about the fiscal cost of hiring these elite US management consultancy groups. Financially and tactically, is heading for international assistance, about a situation that is a disappointing outcome for Australia. How can Australian management consultancies improve if not allowed to pitch against these three consultancy powerhouses? Is Qantas trying to send the message that they'll pay more for a BCG or McKinsey & Co on a complete turn around in operations as an Australian consultancy can't do the job. Qantas has an ongoing airline customer issue. It is hoped there were Australian pitches to this task, so as not to be fiscally irresponsible. But, you can't be too harsh on Qantas' recent operational decision-making, when the Australian Government also spend big in hiring BCG and McKinsey & Co for arguably longer assignments. That's due to the long hours and quick turnaround service that they will implement. It's right that when you raise the image of McKinsey & Co, raw power and rich comes to mind. Very ambitious and driven people take part at this work place. But there's loyalty. Global managing partner Bob Sternfels is on the highest bracket salary for the group but was still re-elected as announced in February 2024. Former Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce faced a huge decline in popularity with airline customers. But Mr Joyce had the Qantas board in a clingy relationship to answer to. And, that meant more expensive flights after COVID-19, and ridiculous delays or cancellations. Mr Joyce also received Board directions on matters extending to monetary refunds, that Qantas acted to some extent to fix. The payout of $21.4m to Mr Joyce faced severe consternation from Qantas customers and shareholders. The Qantas Board can receive over half of Mr Joyce's pay back but disagreed with Qantas customers/shareholders, that Mr Joyce's stint ended because he performed below par. The highest financial executive is the CFO, so Ms Hudson and the Qantas Board are not leaving it to Ms Hudson to be the sole decision-maker on financially growing Qantas. Proposing new ideas will be an indelible cost.

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary 🟰 operational excellence 🟰 #consistency 1️⃣ “The best CEOs and owners are the accountants, the people who do the boring, repetitive, day-to-day delivery, and that’s what you need.” 2️⃣ “They already design great aircraft—you’ve got to make them, but you’ve got to make them on-time and within budget, and that needs accountants.” 3️⃣ “So-called accountants have clarity on the vision of a company, while personnel like engineers can lose sight of an overall mission in favor of tweaking what’s not broken.” 4️⃣ “It’s like, never put a pilot in charge of an airline. They want to buy new shiny toys.” https://lnkd.in/gFR6yxaR