Korean Air has appointed Jason Kim as UK and Ireland Regional Manager, taking over from James Park, who has returned to the airlines’ head office in Seoul, Korea.
Kim, who is based at the company’s offices in London Piccadilly, has been with Korean Air since 1996 and was previously General Manager for Australia, based in Melbourne. Kim has prior experience working in the London office, having held the position of Deputy General Manager in February 2008. He will now be responsible for managing the airline’s UK operations.

Commenting on his new role, Jason Kim says: “Korean Air is one of the world’s top airlines, with a proud history of innovation and outstanding customer service and so I am delighted to be returning to London as Regional Manager. I very much look forward to working with the team in the UK and continuing to grow our global network.”

Virgin Australia has appointed top sales executive Judith Crompton to the newly-created role of chief commercial officer, with responsibility for alliances, network, revenue management and sales over both its domestic and international networks.
Previously the head of global corporate sales at Etihad, Crompton joined Virgin last year and has three decades of experience in the aviation and travel industries with management experience at Qantas, Flight Centre and TQ3 Navigant.
Her responsibilities at Etihad included the airline’s overall strategic direction and commercial sales.
The new role is part of changes at Virgin stemming from the acquisition of regional and charter carrier Skywest Airlines, now headed by Merren McArthur, former group executive alliances, network and yield.
“Virgin Australia has made significant progress with our Game Change Program strategy and the creation of the chief commercial officer role is a key part of the next phase of this strategy,’’ chief executive John Borghetti said.
“Judith has extensive executive management experience across a range of different commercial functions in the aviation and travel industry. I am very confident she has the right skills and expertise to deliver on the commercial objectives of the group.’’

Flybe Group has announced that Anita Lovell, a non-executive director, has stepped down from the Board with immediate effect. Lovell was appointed in July 2010 and her term of office was due to expire in July 2013.

Former airline executive Michael G. Whitaker, who most recently served as a consultant to a company that operates India’s largest domestic airline, has been appointed as the deputy administrator for the FAA.

“We are pleased the president has appointed someone who has spent so much of his career in the aviation industry to fill the role of deputy FAA administrator,” said AOPA President Craig Fuller. “Michael Whitaker’s extensive experience in the airline industry, both in the United States and abroad, gives him an excellent understanding of the national air transportation system, particularly the issues facing commercial air carriers. We look forward to sharing the general aviation perspective with him and working together for the good of all segments of the aviation community.”

Whitaker, according to a summary of his career released by the White House, worked for Trans World Airlines from 1991 to 1994 as general counsel for regulatory and international affairs, and held various posts at United Airlines from 1994 to 2009, where he became senior vice president for alliances, international, and regulatory affairs.

Whitaker served from 2009 to 2011 as an executive for InterGlobe Enterprises, a transportation management company that operates, among other interests, IndiGo, described on the company’s website as India’s largest and fastest-growing airline. He was a board member and consultant to InterGlobe from 2011 to 2012.

Olivia Wirth has taken on an extra role as marketing chief and her, her title as chief government lobbyist will be handed to new recruit Andrew Parker, who has been Emirates’ chief spin doctor for the past six years. Parker has close government contacts and should excel in the role.

Malaysia Airlines – Malaysian Airline System Berha non-executive director, Tan Sri Mohamed Azman bin Yahya, is to step down from the board and retire. After a stint with KPMG in London he was appointed by the Government of Malaysia in 1998 to set up and head Danaharta Nasional Berhad and subsequently became its Chairman until 2003. He was also Chairman of the Corporate Debt Restructuring Committee, which was set up by Bank Negara Malaysia, until its closure in 2002. He is currently Group Chief Executive and a Board member of Symphony House Berhad, Executive Chairman of Bolton Berhad and Director of Scomi Group Berhad.
He sits on the boards of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the investment arm of the Malaysian Government, and Ekuiti Nasional Berhad, the Government-linked private equity fund management company. He also serves as a member of the Financial Reporting Foundation and is Chairman of the Motorsports Association of Malaysia.

WestJet has announced the departure of Cam Kenyon, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Operations, effective July 20, 2013.

“Cam has been an integral part of the WestJet team since his arrival in January 2011 and has shown himself to be a skilled and valued leader,” said Gregg Saretsky, WestJet President and CEO. “Cam exemplifies and embraces who we are, culturally. His contributions have been many and he will be greatly missed.”

José Manuel Fernández Norniella has notified the Board of Directors of International Airlines Group of his intention, on personal grounds, not to stand for re-election at the next Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting and to stand down as director and member of the Nominations and the Remuneration Committees with effect from the date of that Shareholders’ Meeting.
In his place, the Board of Directors will propose the appointment of Alberto Terol Esteban as independent director of the Company at the next Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting.

FLYHT Aerospace Solutions has appointed Mr. Derek Graham as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Graham adds extensive depth and leadership to FLYTH’s management team having worked for over 10 years at a major avionics manufacturer in product line management and development. In that role, Mr. Graham was heavily involved in aeronautical satellite development and was responsible for a line of successful aviation Iridium and Inmarsat communications products.
The Company also announced that it has granted incentive stock options for an aggregate 2,161,500 common shares, subject to regulatory approval, to employees, officers and directors under the stock option plan approved at the Annual and Special meeting yesterday.
“We have approved the stock option plan as a tangible performance incentive at several levels of the Company,” said Bill Tempany, Chairman and CEO of FLY. “We have set the exercise price of the options above the current trading price of our shares because we feel that the price today is below where we should be. For that reason we believe that the plan serves to fully align employees, officers, board members and investors in the pursuit of shareholder value.”
The stock options are exercisable at an exercise price of $0.25 per share which is approximately 28% above the current trading price on the TSX Venture Exchange. They also feature immediate vesting and expire on December 31, 2017. A maximum of 10% of the issued and outstanding shares are reserved under the Company’s stock option plan. The options, and any common shares issued upon exercise of the stock options are subject to a four-month resale restriction.

Clifford Chance has added two partners to its London and New York teams.

Oliver Hipperson, based in London, will join the partnership on 1 May and Emily DiStefano will join in New York.

DiStefano is highly respected for her aircraft finance knowledge, encompassing secured lending, leasing, private equity investments and restructurings. She regularly advises major US airlines on public and private Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificates (EETCs) – a popular financing product used by many large carriers. DiStefano also brings significant leveraged finance expertise, having represented corporate borrowers and private equity funds in connection with large leveraged acquisitions, high-yield debt offerings, term loans, ABL and revolving credit facilities, and credit facilities secured by capital calls.

“We are pleased to welcome Emily to our New York-based Asset Finance team, led by partners John Howitt, Zarrar Sehgal and Geoffrey White,” said Evan Cohen, Clifford Chance’s Americas Regional Managing Partner. “Her in-depth aviation and leveraged finance expertise bolsters our leading global aircraft finance practice.”

“Clifford Chance has been at the forefront of advising on some of the most innovative aircraft financing techniques developed following the financial crisis,” said Sehgal, global head of Clifford Chance’s Transport & Logistics sector. “Emily’s recognized expertise in EETCs – a capital markets financing product heavily relied upon by major US airlines – deepens our client offering and sector coverage.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining one of the world’s premier law firms and a pre-eminent global aircraft finance practice,” said DiStefano. She joins Clifford Chance from Debevoise & Plimpton, where she was a counsel in the Corporate department. She earned her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law after graduating from Dartmouth College, cum laude, and is admitted to the bar in the State of New York.

On the other side of the pond, Oliver Hipperson will make up the six-strong team of dedicated London asset finance partners. Hipperson specialises in big ticket leasing and financing, particularly aircraft and maritime assets. Recent selected experience includes advising on large sales and acquisitions of shipping and aircraft loan portfolios for major banks, as financial institutions have responded to regulatory and business changes in the wake of the credit crunch. Hipperson has also worked in the investment banking division of a major financial institution in a commercial role, giving him a unique insight into the requirements of global lending entities.

“We are delighted to announce Oliver’s partnership,” said William Glaister, Head of the Global Asset Finance Group. “He will help us to strengthen and grow our global asset finance practice, which has been fortunate to enjoy significant activity across the network, even in the turbulent market conditions since the onset of the financial crisis. The depth and breadth of Oliver’s sector experience, including his particular expertise in loan trading and complex portfolio restructurings, are crucial parts of our client offering.”