Flair Airlines CEO to step down from low-cost carrier this summer

Flair Airlines chief executive Stephen Jones will be stepping down this summer after more than three-and-a-half years at the helm of the discount carrier. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Flair Airlines chief executive Stephen Jones will be stepping down this summer after more than three-and-a-half years at the helm of the discount carrier.

The CEO's tenure spanned a turbulent period for the seven-year-old company as the airline expanded its fleet but also hit financial headwinds amid stiff competition.

Flair says a recruitment process for a replacement is underway and that chief operating officer Maciej Wilk named interim CEO until the board selects a successor.

Flair says its 20-plane fleet will "continue operating normally" during the transition, even as some hurdles from the past 18 months remain.

Jones suspended expansion plans earlier this year as the carrier contends with plane delivery delays and hefty debts, including $67 million in unpaid federal taxes related to import duties on its jets as of November.

In a release, the outgoing chief executive said he's proud of enabling more Canadians to travel via the airline's relatively low ticket prices.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2024