Brett J. Hart has been appointed President of United Airlines Holdings Inc.
This makes Hart the first black man to lead the 94-year-old company.
Hart replaces outgoing president Scott Kirby who will now become the company’s CEO while current CEO, Oscar Munoz, will transition to the role of Executive Chair.
Hart, who has been with the carrier since 2010, currently serves as the company’s executive vice president and a chief administrative officer, will begin his new role effective Wednesday, May 20, 2020.
“I am honoured and energised as I take on these new responsibilities to lead this incredible team that I am convinced will build United into a thriving industry leader,” Hart said.
“The path forward will not be easy, but I am confident that Scott and I will continue our partnership to lead United through the extraordinary challenge posed by COVID-19. United’s bright future is only possible because of the commitment of the most talented airline professionals in the world who serve United and our customers every single day – and I could not be prouder of them.”
As president, Hart will continue to lead the company’s public advocacy strategy including government affairs, corporate communications, legal, and community engagement teams.
He will also continue to oversee business-critical functions like the Corporate Real Estate team and manage United’s industry-leading environmental sustainability efforts.
Similar to his predecessors Kirby and Munoz, Hart will forgo his salary as president amid the economic effects of the virus pandemic.
United Airlines has said that it will not be replacing the role of Chief Administrative Officer.
Airlines around the world are taking huge hits to revenue as the pandemic shrinks demand for air travel.
US carriers have parked hundreds of planes and are relying heavily on an aid package that the Trump administration approved in March.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun in an interview with the Today show on NBC said a major airline bankruptcy will take place this year.
Calhoun was quick to go into damage control mode noting that he wasn’t talking specifically about any one carrier.
United Airlines, Inc.has a market capitalisation of over US$21 billion as of January 2018.
