ATLANTA -- Paul Blackney, who heads Worldspan and formerly was
president and CEO of Apollo Travel Services, will give up his top
Worldspan posts if and when its acquisition is completed.
After the Travel Transaction Processing Corp. -- a company
formed by Citigroup Venture Capital Equity Partners and Teachers'
Merchant Bank -- purchases Worldspan from Delta, Northwest and
American, Blackney will assume the role of "special advisor to the
company" and serve on the company's board of directors.
Blackney told TravelWeekly.com that the prospective new owners
were "looking for a CEO to commit to five to seven years. I'm
almost 57 years old. I don't want to work that long."
Worldspan announced March 4 that its airline owners were selling
the company, which is a leader in booking engine services for
Internet travel sites.
If the acquisition, which is subject to financial and regulatory
approvals, falls through, Blackney said he would stay on as
Worldspan's president and CEO.
Blackney, who prior to his Apollo stint held executive posts at
United, became president and CEO of Worldspan in 1999.
When this recent sale was announced, Blackney said his tenure
at Worldspan has been "enlightening and staggeringly
productive."