Served As Chief Operating Officer, ATO Chairman For Agency
JetBlue Airways announced
Thursday Russell G. Chew has agreed to join JetBlue as Chief
Operating Officer (COO), effective March 19. Chew joins JetBlue
after four years with the Federal Aviation Administration as Chief
Operating Officer and Chairman of the Air Traffic Organization.
Before that, Chew spent 17 years with American Airlines in a
variety of roles, including as Managing Director of its System
Operations Center.
"We are very pleased to have Russ join our team," said JetBlue
CEO David Neeleman. "Russ brings a wealth of industry and
government experience that will help lead JetBlue into a new era of
customer service, comfort and operational reliability. Our
leadership team is strengthened, and will better serve JetBlue's
11,000 crewmembers as we continue to grow our airline."
Mr. Chew will be responsible for the airline's operations of 550
daily flights, leading JetBlue's Airports, Operational Planning,
System Operations Center, Flight Operations, Technical Operations,
Inflight Service, and Safety departments.
"JetBlue truly is a remarkable customer service company, with an
impressive track record of earning customers' loyalty through
friendly service and low fares," Chew said. "I look forward to
meeting the JetBlue crewmembers who made this success possible, and
serving their needs so that they may continue to provide the best
service to our customers."
That impressive track record has taken a brutal beating of late,
however, as the low-cost carrier was forced to cancel a significant
portion of its flight schedule for six days last month, in the wake
of a vicious northeast snowstorm
that left some planes -- and passengers -- stranded on the tarmac
for as long as 11 hours.
No doubt that JetBlue hopes Chew's experience managing
operations at the FAA and American may help the carrier avoid such
situations in the future.
"We are excited to have Russ join JetBlue's Executive Leadership
team, with his experience managing the system operations center for
the world's largest airline, and also overseeing the world's most
heavily traveled air system as COO of the FAA," said Dave Barger,
JetBlue's President.
"As our airline grows into new markets, it is even more
important to keep one eye on the future while making sure today's
customers and our crewmembers are well served with reliable and
comfortable flights, the foundation of the JetBlue Experience."