Delta Air Lines CEO Richard H. Anderson has been elected chairman of the Air Transport Association of America (ATA) Board of Directors and Southwest Airlines chairman of the board, president and CEO Gary C. Kelly was named vice chairman. Anderson, who succeeds United’s Glenn F. Tilton, and Kelly both will serve a two-year term. ATA recently named Nicholas E. Calio president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2011.
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| Anderson |
“I look forward to working cooperatively with the administration, Congress and regulatory agencies to advance initiatives that support continued improvements in the financial health of the U.S. aviation industry and maintain our focus on safety,” said Anderson. “Airlines are a vital industry in the United States and provide 11 million jobs annually. Our association’s focus is to move tax and regulatory oversight in a direction that fosters growth and makes us an even stronger economic engine for America.”
Anderson became Delta Air Lines CEO in September 2007 and was the architect of the airline’s merger with Northwest Airlines, which closed in October 2008. Kelly began his career at Southwest Airlines as controller in 1986, moving up to chief financial officer and vice president of finance, then executive vice president and CFO, before being promoted to CEO and vice chairman in July 2004. He assumed the role of chairman in May 2008 and president in July 2008. Visit www.airlines.org.