WestJet has named Alexis von Hoensbroech as its next CEO from 2022. von Hoensbroech comes from Austrian Airlines, where he has served as CEO since 2018. He will be replacing Ed Sims, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Over at Austrian Airlines, Annette Mann has been nominated to be the next CEO of the airline upon von Hoensbroech’s exit.
Alexis von Hoensbroech moves to WestJet
On Friday, dual announcements from Austrian Airlines and WestJet announced von Hoensbroech’s departure from the Lufthansa Group airline to lead the Canadian airline. von Hoensbroech is expected to take over as CEO in 2022, subject to a successful immigration process.
von Hoensbroech will be the next permanent CEO of WestJet, following Ed Sims, who announced his retirement in June. WestJet named Harry Taylor, who serves as Executive Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at WestJet, as the interim CEO in November. He will serve until von Hoensbroech takes over in 2022.
Speaking on his appointment, von Hoensbroech stated the following:
“I am really excited to be joining the WestJet team. WestJet is a remarkable success story, bringing affordable air travel to millions of Canadians. I am very much looking forward to working with the management team, the Board and all WestJetters and Swoopsters to write the next chapter of this success story, as the airline emerges from the pandemic.”
von Hoensbroech has served as CEO of Austrian Airlines since 2018. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, which owns a series of major airlines in Europe, including Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian, among others. von Hoensbroech has left his position as CEO at Austrian Airlines with immediate effect for competitive reasons.
Stay informed: Sign up for our daily and weekly aviation news digests.
A big role of WestJet’s new CEO
von Hoensbroech will take over as CEO of WestJet as the airline still navigates a crisis. Uncertainty over the global public health situation and recent moves from the Canadian government has put the carrier on edge that things may start moving in the wrong direction for the recovery. At the same time, WestJet still needs to navigate the challenges and goals it set before the crisis hit.
In 2022, WestJet will likely have a little more visibility to the trajectory of the crisis, or at least a better understanding of how the global public health situation has changed. The airline may be forced to alter its international 2022 plans if things do not pan out the way WestJet anticipates. Nevertheless, von Hoensbroech will need to help lead the airline out of the crisis.
WestJet is also continuing its transition away from a low-cost carrier to a full-service airline to challenge dominant Air Canada. Part of that transition involved taking on Boeing 787 aircraft that the airline has used for a European expansion. Next year, WestJet plans to start flying from its main hub in Calgary to London-Heathrow. This will complement its service to London-Gatwick.
Separately, WestJet will need to continue working on its network and partnerships. While it has gotten close with Delta Air Lines in the US, the rejection of the joint venture between the two airlines without a slot divestiture at LaGuardia led both airlines to cut their joint venture plans.
There were some murmurs about WestJet and Delta thinking about trying again under a new administration. However, the two airlines have not yet filed a new application with the US government. In Canada, WestJet and Air Transat are also planning a codeshare partnership to give WestJet access to more destinations in Europe without needing to acquire expensive, new aircraft.
New leadership at Austrian Airlines
Succeeding von Hoensbroech at Austrian Airlines will be Annette Mann. She is currently the Head of Corporate Responsibility for the Lufthansa Group. She will take over as CEO from March 2022 upon her formal appointment by the Supervisory Board of Austrian Airlines. Michael Trestle, Chief Commercial Officer, and Francesco Sciortino, Chief Operating Officer, will jointly serve as interim CEO until Mann takes over.
Mann has held several roles in the Lufthansa Group. This includes work on sustainability, management roles at SWISS, and part of the airline’s inflight and customer services management team.
