By Mewati Sitaram
The world’s first and largest global airline alliance, Star Alliance has announced that Theo Panagiotoulias has been chosen to become its next CEO.Panagiotoulias is expected to start the job within the coming months, upon the completion of administrative processes and clearances, the alliance said in a statement.
Charlotta Wieland, interim CEO since January 2023, will rejoin the alliance’s management board as a representative from Scandinavian Airlines.
Panagiotoulias is a seasoned player in the aviation sector and has more than two and half decades of successful international experience in the airline and aviation industry. Prior to his new assignment, he had been Senior VP for Global Sales and Alliances with Hawaiian Airlines. Panagiotoulias, previously worked as VP and GM (Asia Pacific) at travel technology provider Sabre Corporation, as well as a 15-year veteran of American Airlines, where he held several commercial, operational and management positions.
Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines and Chairman of the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board on appointment of Panagiotoulias said “On behalf of the board of Star Alliance, I would like to congratulate Theo for being named the next CEO of Star Alliance.Theo’s international commercial and airline experience have given him a good understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our industry today. I believe he is the right person to lead Star Alliance into the future.”
Panagiotoulias on his appointment said “Star Alliance connects the world,” more than 200 million customers fly with its 26 member airlines each year, on more than 16,000 flights each day. The Alliance has also led the revolution to promote a more seamless passenger experience. I am honoured that I’ve been chosen to lead the Star Alliance team and work directly with our 26 member carriers, as we continue to innovate as the world’s leading airline alliance.”
“On behalf of Star Alliance and its member carriers, I would like to thank Charlotta for her service to Star Alliance as interim CEO, and welcome her back to her seat on the Alliance Management Board,” said Kirby.
It may be noted that Star Alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance by Skytrax in 2022. Similarly, the Alliance celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2022 as the longest-running international airline alliance. It aims to facilitate a seamless, high-quality traveller experience across its 26 member carriers, with smooth transfers across an extensive global network, together with rewards and recognition for frequent international travellers. It also marked several important milestones, including the launch of the world’s first airline alliance credit card with HSBC Australia, and the formation of an intermodal travel model, which extends the Alliance’s network beyond air travel to other transport ecosystems, such as rail networks.
Editor in Chief : Mewati SItaram
