A highly accomplished leader with over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry, Korfiatis is set to steer Oman Air’s ongoing transformation, which aims to turn the airline’s financial operations around.

Al Mawali said: “Con’s professional background, coupled with his expertise in organisational transformation and strategy development, make him the perfect fit to lead Oman Air through this crucial phase of its transformation. We have full confidence in Con’s ability to steer the company towards sustainable, long-term success while guiding it through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

Con’s three-decade-long career includes numerous CEO appointments across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, with notable accomplishments including founding four start-up initiatives in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Singapore and China. He has also held a string of other executive management roles in finance, strategy, commercial, alliances, operations, network, branding and marketing, across some of the world’s most successful airlines. 

The promotion of Fleetwood into this newly created role reaffirms Serco's commitment to supporting the Saudi Government and Vision 2030, with a special focus on enhancing the safety and readiness of projects across the West Coast region and echoing the company’s continued commitment to impact a better future for the region’s residents and visitors.

Fleetwood is responsible for overseeing the financial and operational delivery of Serco’s contracts on the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, including within the Red Sea and NEOM area, where Serco hold a number of contracts supporting the development of the giga cities infrastructure, including providing fire & rescue services (FRS) at Red Sea International Airport and supporting Red Sea Global’s carbon-neutral mobility services. 

In her new role, overseeing around 200 staff, Fleetwood and her team have a core objective of bringing Serco’s many years of experience and knowledge within the transport and emergency services industry to the rapidly developing region to instil best practises from Serco’s global experience and ensure a transfer of knowledge to support the nationalisation aims of the country.

The objective is to meet increased aircraft production and anticipated future growth by developing new businesses, products and services.

The investment includes research and development activities for new technologies, such as those that will be used in eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles), the expansion of aeronautical services, including the conversion of passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft, defence and security, efficiency improvement projects, and the expansion of industrial activities.

“Embraer begins a new phase of growth based on efficiency and innovation. We are focused on capturing our full potential in the different segments in which we operate towards more sustainable aviation,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer. “And through partnerships with the public and private sector, we are expanding sales, opening new markets and investing in new technologies, which makes it possible to increase the export of high-value-added products and create thousands of highly qualified jobs in Brazil.”

Around 90% of hires will occur throughout the year for the operations sector, with positions for mechanics, electricians, millers, molders, aircraft maintenance technicians, and quality technicians with experience, as well as opportunities for production trainees who undergo training and qualification processes with internal mentors. There are also opportunities for engineers and other administrative roles.

Last year, Embraer had already increased its workforce by 1,500 employees and returned to pre-pandemic employment level. The company currently has around 19,000 direct employees worldwide, of whom 88% are based in Brazil.

The resumption of Embraer's growth took place in 2023, when the company recorded a total revenue of USD$ 5.26 billion and achieved its best profitability in the last five years. During the period, 181 jets were delivered, a volume 13% higher than the previous year.

For 2024, Embraer estimates that it will be another year of growth with deliveries of between 72 and 80 commercial aircraft and between 125 and 135 executive jets. The expectation is to generate revenue between USD$6 billion and USD$6.4 billion.

In his role, Sauvé-Hopkins will oversee dnata’s global ground handling and cargo business at 97 airports in 16 countries. He will manage a team of over 37,000 customer-centric aviation professionals, ensuring consistent high quality and safe services for more than 330 airline customers. 

Sauvé-Hopkins brings with him extensive international experience in commercial strategy and business transformation, having held several senior leadership positions with Swissport, Servisair, Aviapartner, Qatar Airways, and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company (ADQ). 

He will be based in Dubai and report to Steve Allen, dnata’s Group chief executive officer. His appointment is effective immediately. 

Allen said: “I’m pleased to have Clive on board our global management team. Clive has all the experience and skills to drive our growth strategy and ensure consistent quality and safe services, with a continued focus on people and sustainability across our global operations. I look forward to working together as we enhance our business and offering.”

The new rotations will position emerging UAE National talent in some of Emirates’ key markets, to help the airline achieve its short, medium and long-term goals through navigating various challenges and opportunities. 

Adnan Kazim, deputy president, and chief commercial officer at Emirates said: “We take pride in developing exceptional Emirati talent within our workforce and are committed to supporting their career progression and advancing their leadership capabilities. Through the new rotation, six prospective leaders will be well-positioned to capitalise on opportunities and overcome industry challenges in their respective markets. I’m confident that our newly appointed managers will not only gain new experiences, but also use their existing knowledge and skills to support our current and future strategies as we continue to expand our global operations.”

Emirates’ commercial team members assuming new roles, effective immediately, include:

• Mohammed Alqassim: previously Country Manager Cyprus, has become Country Manager Cambodia
• Ahmad Tamim: previously Country Manager Ivory Coast, has become  Country Manager Cyprus
• Adnan Almarzooqi:  previously Commercial Support Manager South Africa, has become  Country Manager Ivory Coast
• Mohamed Taher: previously Commercial Support Manager Egypt, has become  Manager Uganda
• Sultan Alriyami: previously Manager Taiwan, has become Area Manager Hong Kong
• Nasser Bahlooq: previously Area Manager Hong Kong, has become Manager Taiwan

Schutterop joins Pooleys after 16 years at Bose Corporation as their Business Manager - Aviation for EMEAI, Asia and APAC where he and his team were responsible for managing Bose's extensive aviation dealer network.

Schutterop said: "With great enthusiasm I look forward to joining the strong, passionate, dedicated and motivated team at Pooleys Flight Equipment, contributing my share to their already impressive success."

Schutterop will officially start with Pooleys on May 1.

Klose is a seasoned aviation professional with over 20 years direct experience in base maintenance operations and technical operations. He has held many senior positions with his most recent being VP of Maintenance and Engineering at Saudi Royal Aviation. At Joramco, he will be leading the Operations Department to oversee the day-to-day technical and operational functions of the business.

Commenting on Klose’s appointment, chief executive officer, Fraser Currie said: “Joramco is delighted to welcome Stephan to the senior management team where he will be joining and leading a team of experts and professionals.  I look forward to his contribution in delivering against our vision and mission statements, especially at a time of significant strategic growth.”

Captain Shannan succeeds Hussein Sherif, who stepped down after a successful four-year tenure during which Air Cairo achieved numerous accomplishments across all levels of the company.

Captain Shannan previously served as the chief operating officer of Air Cairo and is an ICAO-approved trainer. He also held the position of General Manager of Safety and Quality at the company. Notably, Captain Shannan was one of the key leaders who contributed to Air Cairo's achievements over the past four years.

He will continue to lead Boeing through the year to complete the critical work underway to stabilise and position the company for the future.

Board Chair Larry Kellner has informed the board that he does not intend to stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual Shareholder meeting. The board has elected Steve Mollenkopf to succeed Kellner as independent board chair.  In this role, Mollenkopf will lead the board's process of selecting Boeing's next CEO.

In addition to these changes, Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO, will retire from the company and Stephanie Pope has been appointed to lead BCA, effective today.

"It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve Boeing," said Calhoun in a letter to employees. "The eyes of the world are on us, and I know that we will come through this moment a better company. We will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do."

Held against the backdrop of aircraft touching down and taking off, the iftar fostered a sense of community and togetherness.

Majed Al Joker, chief operating officer of Dubai Airports said: “This novel airside initiative underscores our commitment to promoting inclusivity and cultural understanding. It’s truly heart-warming to witness employees from varied backgrounds and cultures come together to celebrate the spirit of Ramadan and showcase the many ways DXB can create memorable and enjoyable experiences.”

“By creating this inclusive event, we celebrate the values of empathy, compassion, and unity that resonate across all communities, fostering a stronger sense of camaraderie and mutual respect among our team members.”