Former JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will soon take the helm of Airbus in North America.
Robin Hayes
Hayes will replace Airbus Americas CEO Jeff Knittel, who will step down on June 3 following five years on the job.
In North America, Airbus has more than 10,000 Airbus employees across 50 sites, including the region headquarters in Herndon, Va., just outside of Washington D.C.
Hayes led JetBlue from 2015 until stepping down in February. At the time, Hayes said that the pressure of running the New York-based airline had taken a toll on his health and that he was retiring at the advice of his doctor.
But his resignation also came during a challenging time for JetBlue, which lost money last year. Also during his tenure, the federal government blocked the Spirit-JetBlue merger in January and broke up the carrier's Northeast Alliance with American Airlines last year.
On Monday, Hayes suggested that he's back to feeling strong.
"After some time off, I am excited and energized to join Airbus and build on the incredible success in the region," he said.