DUBLIN-BORN executive Alan Joyce has been named chief executive at Australia's flag carrier, Qantas Airways.
Mr Joyce, who is currently chief executive of Qantas's budget airline subsidiary Jetstar, has been chosen to succeed Geoff Dixon and will take over in November.
He is believed to have been selected ahead of two other senior executives at Qantas - chief financial officer Peter Gregg and John Borghetti, the airline's executive general manager.
"Alan will assume the role of chief executive designate from today and will also join the board of Qantas with immediate effect," the airline's chairman, Leigh Clifford, said yesterday. "Alan is, we believe, the best person to take Qantas forward in what is a very challenging environment."
Founded in 1920, Qantas is one of the world's biggest full-service airlines. In 2007, it recorded a pre-tax profit of one billion Australian dollars from revenues of A$15.2 billion. It carried 36.4 million passengers.
Mr Joyce's challenge will be to guide the airline through the current turbulence caused by rocketing fuel prices and weakening consumer demand.
The elevation will bring a steep rise in pay for Mr Joyce. Mr Dixon is also entitled to a bonus of up to 60 per cent of his pay and other benefits, including shares, free travel and pension contributions.
Hailing from Tallaght, Mr Joyce moved to Australia in 1996, joining the now defunct Ansett airline from Aer Lingus.
The 42-year-old joined Qantas in 2000 on the recommendation of Rod Eddington, the Australian who formerly led British Airways. He was chosen to launch Jetstar in October 2003. Jetstar operates routes internally in Australia and to a number of destinations in Asia-Pacific. It has been profitable every year since it took to the skies in May 2004.
At Aer Lingus, Mr Joyce held a number of roles in sales, marketing, IT, network planning, operations research, revenues management and fleet planning. In 2005, Mr Joyce turned down an offer to return to Aer Lingus as chief executive, in succession to Willie Walsh, who now heads BA.
