Connect Airways appoints new CEO as it awaits EU approval for Flybe deal
Connect Airways, the consortium that has purchased Flybe, has appointed former Virgin Atlantic’s customer chief Mark Anderson as its chief executive.
Connect Airways, which is made up of Virgin Atlantic, Stobart and hedge fund Cyrus Capital, is currently waiting for the merger clearance from the EU commission, which is expected in July.
Read more: Flybe boss to step down after airline’s sale to Connect Airways
The struggling airline completed the sale of its assets and operations to Connect Airways back in February for £2.8m. In March, shareholders in the regional airline voted to approve its sale to Connect Airways for just 1p a share.
Anderson joins Connect Airways from his current role as executive vice president of Virgin’s customer experience, a role he has held since February 2017.
Before that he was senior vice president and managing director of Virgin Holidays.
Read more: Flybe shareholders approve airline sale to Virgin-led consortium Connect Airways
Stobart chief executive Warwick Brady said: “Connect Airways represents a compelling financial and strategic opportunity. Having worked with Mark for some months I am confident he will build a talented team capable of establishing a well-structured, profitable airline. Under Mark’s leadership, we can develop a customer-centric regional connectivity strategy that incorporates London.”
Anderson added: “It’s a real privilege and honour for me to take on the leadership of Connect Airways, at this exciting time. We are focused on growing the airline while expanding our franchise business in Dublin, redefining what customers can expect from regional flying in the UK. We have all the building blocks in place: Flybe’s heritage and expertise in running Europe’s largest regional airline; the operational excellence and strength of Stobart Air; and in the near future, the magic of the Virgin brand. I can’t wait to get started with the team.”