WOW air announced the appointment of Ben Baldanza to the airline’s Board of Directors. Formerly the CEO of Spirit Airlines, Mr Baldanza brings with him a wealth of experience in the airline industry with particular expertise in the realm of ‘ultra-low cost’ carriers.
Having begun his aviation career with American Airlines, Mr Baldanza later worked for Northwest, Continental, Taca and US Airways before joining Spirit in 2005. During his tenure as CEO and President, the NASDAQ-listed airline successfully made its transition to the ultra-low cost model and developed a reputation for bold and edgy marketing campaigns.
Ben Baldanza says:
“WOW air is an airline rewriting the rules of low cost, long haul travel and I look forward to joining Skuli and the members of the Board in growing the business further in years to come.”
Skúli Mogensen, founder and CEO of WOW air says:
“I’m delighted to welcome Ben Baldanza to our Board of Directors. The success of his tenure at Spirit Airlines has earned him enormous respect in the airline industry and his expertise and insight will be invaluable as we continue to grow WOW air’s network on both sides of the Atlantic. Ben is someone who understands the needs of a growing ultra-low cost airline and he is passionate, as we are, about offering the opportunity for anyone to travel the world.”
The appointment comes amid rapid expansion for WOW air with new destinations for 2016 including Bristol, Edinburgh, Montreal, Toronto, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline recently announced profits of £5.95 million (ISK 1.1 billion) for 2015, only four years after being founded by Mogensen.