Fiji Airways Names Stefan Pichler as MD and CEO

Fiji Airways has appointed Stefan Pichler as new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 September 2013.

Pichler is currently Chief Executive Officer of Jazeera Airways and was recently awarded Business Aviation's “Personal Achievement of the Year Award 2012” for his turnaround of Jazeera Airways in the past four years which saw the carrier achieve the highest operating profit margins in the industry in 2011 and 2012.

Before Jazeera Airways, Pichler was responsible for Virgin Blue’s transformation from a low cost carrier to a network airline and served as its Chief Commercial Officer. He also launched Virgin Blue’s long haul carrier V Australia in 2008 as its Chairman.

Pichler has also been Chairman and CEO of Thomas Cook AG, and held senior and executive board roles with Lufthansa AG.

“This is a remarkable confluence of the right person in the right place at the right time. Mr. Pichler’s distinctive career experience and outstanding accomplishments established him as the best possible fit for CEO of Fiji Airways. We are confident that under his leadership Fiji Airways will continue to modernise, grow and prosper as we move forward into the future in this significant new chapter in the history of Fiji Airways,” said Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Fiji's Attorney-General and Minister for Civil Aviation.