Etihad delays appointment of new CEO to year-end

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has pushed the appointment of its new group chief executive officer to end of this year, with the new recruit expected to take up the role by early 2018, the airline said on Monday.

“The recruitment of a new Etihad Aviation Group CEO is reaching its conclusion with the successful candidate to start no later than the beginning of 2018,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to Argaam.

The carrier had appointed Ray Gammel as interim group CEO in May, after James Hogan stepped down from the position. At the time, the airline had said it was in “advanced stages” of naming a new group CEO, and the new appointment was expected within the next few weeks.

Etihad – which reported a net loss of $ 1.87 billion for 2016 – last week also announced Air Berlin’s insolvency. The Abu Dhabi carrier held a 29.2 percent stake in Air Berlin.