JetBlue CEO resigns

JetBlue Airways CEO Robin Hayes said Monday he planned to step down after nine years in the role and while in the midst of an effort to push through a merger with Spirit Airlines that could reshape the industry , if so. t blocked in court.

Mr. Hayes will be replaced on Feb. 12 by Joanna Geraghty, the company’s president and chief operating officer, which would make her the only woman to lead a major U.S. airline. Mr. Hayes, 57, will remain on JetBlue’s board and serve as a strategic advisor to the company.

In a lengthy statement, Mr Hayes described the decision to retire as “bittersweet” and suggested unspecified health problems were behind it.

“The extraordinary challenges and pressures of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after speaking with my wife, it is time for me to focus more on my health and well-being,” he said. “I am extremely grateful for these many exciting years, and I feel very fortunate to have worked at an airline with a brand, culture and team that is simply unlike any other in the world.”

JetBlue announced plans in 2022 to buy Spirit for $3.8 billion. The Justice Department filed a lawsuit last year to prevent the deal, and the federal trial in that lawsuit concluded last month. The chairman has not yet made a ruling that could allow the deal, require JetBlue and Spirit to make some concessions, or prevent the merger altogether.

Mr. Hayes joined JetBlue in 2008 from British Airways. He became its CEO in February 2015. The company said in a securities filing that Mr. Hayes informed the board of directors on Sunday of his intention to resign, with the board voting to appoint Ms. Geraghty, 51, to be approved the same day. .

In a message to employees, Mr Hayes said he had been thinking about resigning for some time.

“This decision to retire was difficult and deeply personal, and I have been putting it off for some time – first when Covid threatened our future and again when we had the opportunity to acquire Spirit,” he said.