UAE Business: Etihad Aviation Group appoints new CEO; Douglas to leave – Gulf Digital News

UAE Business: Etihad Aviation Group appoints new CEO; Douglas to leave – Gulf Digital News

ADQ, an Abu Dhabi based investment and holding company, together with Etihad’s Board of Directors, have appointed Antonoaldo Neves as Group Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Aviation Group, succeeding Tony Douglas as Group CEO.

Douglas has decided to pursue an opportunity elsewhere and will serve during his transition period as an advisor to the Board of ADQ Aviation and Aerospace Services Company, said a statement.

Neves was CEO and Board Member of TAP, the National Airline of Portugal, where he successfully led a major turnaround that resulted in a more valuable company, with better customer service and more passengers, significantly contributing to tourism development in Portugal, it said.

Prior to TAP, he was the President of Azul Airlines in Brazil, where he successfully led the company to IPO in the NYSE. Neves was also a partner at McKinsey and Company, where he developed the long-term plan for the aviation sector development in Brazil.

Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa, Chairman of Etihad Aviation Group, said: “Tony has led Etihad through some of its most challenging times and has successfully turned the airline into a profitable and sustainable business over the past five years as part of its initial transformation program. As we’re entering our next phase