After four rewarding years at Flair driving exponential growth and a storied 30-year career in the aviation industry, President and CEO Stephen Jones will be retiring this summer. A recruitment process for a permanent replacement has been underway and industry veteran and Flair COO Maciej Wilk will be named Interim President and CEO until the permanent replacement is selected by the Board of Directors.
“Stephen has been instrumental in the growth of Flair and the ultra-low-cost airline industry in Canada. We thank him for his tireless efforts growing Flair and empowering more Canadians to travel. We wish him all the best in his retirement,” said Julia Haywood, Chair of the Board, Flair Airlines. “The Board of Directors is overseeing a rigorous recruitment process for the next President and CEO. This is well underway, and we are pleased and impressed by the number of exceptional candidates under consideration.”
“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to be part of Flair – it’s a truly outstanding organization with the best people in the industry,” said Stephen Jones. “If there’s one thing during my tenure that I’m most proud of, it’s the opportunities we helped create so that more Canadians could experience and enjoy travel. The Flair Effect makes a real difference in people’s lives. Given what we’ve achieved, I’m even more confident in the company and what’s ahead for Flair.”
Flair will continue operating normally during the transition and keep delivering on its mission to make affordable air travel possible for all – in Canada, to Canada, and from Canada. Customers can expect the same low fares and reliable service that they have come to know and love. Flair’s operations will continue normally during the CEO transition. As Flair’s COO, Maciej Wilk is incredibly well-positioned to lead the company forward as Interim President and CEO; he is already involved in all areas of the business and possessives extensive operational, business and financial expertise. As the sole ULCC in Canada, Flair is committed to offering choice and convenience for all Canadians, and an accessible alternative to the big airlines.
Competition in the marketplace supports better on-time performance and helps drive fares down across the board. Flair can boast the highest completion factor of any Canadian airline in 2023 and ranked second for on-time performance. Flair is also the first Canadian airline to provide monthly C02 emissions reporting, part of its steadfast commitment to being Canada’s greenest airline.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Flair Airlines.
