JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month, the company said Monday. The airline’s chief operating officer, Joanna Geraghty, will take the helm. Hayes, 57, is a former British Airways executive who joined JetBlue in 2008 and became CEO in 2015. He pushed the airline to start transatlantic flights and create a partnership in the Northeast with American Airlines.

Spirit airline acquisition

The departure of CEO Robin Hayes comes as JetBlue tries to acquire budget carrier Spirit Airlines.

The Spirit acquisition will be nearly $4 billion combination that the New York-based carrier JetBlue argues will help it grow and better compete against larger rivals such as Delta and United.

The U.S. Department of Justice sued to block the merger last year. A decision by a federal judge in Boston is expected in the coming weeks after a trial that wrapped up late last year.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes steps down

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes, a more than three-decade airline industry veteran, cited the high-pressure nature of the job in announcing his resignation via a company statement.

“It’s bittersweet to retire from this airline I love, but I will always feel a part of the JetBlue team and be rooting for its continued success,” Hayes said. “However, the extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being.”

Hayes will remain on the board of directors of JetBlue until he leaves his post on February 12, at which point he will stay on as a strategic advisor and Joanna Geraghty will join the board.

Joanna Geraghty as CEO

Joanna Geraghty has spent about two decades at JetBlue, the majority of the relatively young carrier’s lifespan. During that time, the airline expanded internationally and launched a business class.

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty said she was honored to get the new job, and said she was looking forward “as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value” for shareholders.

JetBlue, whose flights are concentrated in the heavily congested New York-area airspace and other busy patches of the country such as Florida, has struggled in recent months.

Geraghty’s task etched

Geraghty will be tasked with righting the ship and, if the DOJ is unsuccessful in blocking Spirit airline acquisition, overseeing that merger process. JetBlue plans to convert Spirit’s bright yellow and densely packed planes into its own cushier configurations.

Geraghty was named COO in 2018 and headed parts of the business, including its growing network and its revenue management.

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