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Collett E. Woolman : The Co-founder & First CEO of Delta Air Lines

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Collett Everman Woolman was one of the principal founder and first Chief Executive Officer of the infamous Delta Air Lines. Woolman with his vision took a great leap in the airline business. From an employee of the Delta Air Lines to the CEO of the same, Woolman worked rigorously to lead the airlines, to be one of the best in the world. His hard work and inspirational life even took his name to the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Woolman was born on 8 October 1889, in Bloomington, Indiana, but spent most of his childhood in Urbana, Illinois. He completed his high secondary education from a local public school and entered the University of Illinois to pursue a Bachelor degree in agriculture. After his marriage with Helen H. Fairfield, in 1916, the couple moved to Monroe, in northeastern Louisiana.

Founding Delta Air Lines

After completing his education, Woolman joined Louisiana State University as an Agricultural Extension Agent. At the time, the Southern United States were facing a big issue with their agriculture works, i.e., the boll weevil, a cotton-destroying pest. A United States Department of Agriculture entomologist, Dr B. R. Coad, was trying new methods to solve this problem, and Woolmen also joined him in his mission. The ultimate solution, that they used against the boll weevil was to sprinkle calcium arsenate over the crops. As it was difficult to sprinkle the dry-powder over big fields, the team started doing the same with the help of army-loaned aircraft. The aircraft would dust out the powder over the fields, and the issue was solved.

C. E. Woolman
Image Source: deltamuseum.org

An aircraft manufacturer, Huff-Daland Aero Corporation, noticed the whole matter and formed a new division for crop dusting, naming it as Huff Daland Dusters, on 30 May 1924, and established the headquarter in Macon, Georgia. The Airborne crop dusting organisation was the first of its kind, in the world. Woolman was selected as the lead for the department and was appointed as the vice president and general manager of the same.

The company earned profits in the business, but as soon as the summer growing season ended, the need for the air dusting deceased, simultaneously. Woolman advised moving the service to other places, where the season was reversed and started operating in Mexico and Peru. With the help of Peruvian Airways Corporation, Woolman also started the passenger service in Peru. The agreement did not last long, but, Woolman gained the much-needed experience in the business.

In 1925, the company setup was moved to Monroe, Louisiana. At the same time, the Huff Daland Dusters was in financial trouble. The company was looking for a buyer for its bailout, and Woolman took the advantage of the opportunity, and on 13 September 1928, Woolman acquired the company, naming it Delta Air Service. The company started its passenger service on 17 June 1929 and received funding from its three new investors C. H. McHenry, Travis Oliver, and Malcolm S. Biedenharn. The first flight by the airlines was between Dallas, Texas and Jackson, Mississippi. In 1930, Woolman was named to the board of directors of the company.

At that time, there was a very less number of people who travelled through an aircraft. Hence, the company took a break from the passenger service and started functioning as an airmail service. Later, in March 1934, the passenger service was started again. In 1941, the headquarter of the company was relocated to Atlanta. After moving to Atlanta, Delta Air Service started adding new air routes and acquired a few other airlines. The propeller planes were replaced by the jets, and it started expanding towards the europian countries and across the Pacific. On 1 November 1965, Woolman was appointed as the chief executive officer of the company. Only after one year, on September 1966, at the age of 76, Woolman passed away, leaving a great legacy behind him.

Delta Air Lines After Woolman

In 1987, the company had a merger with the western airlines, and throughout the 90’s the airline saw rapid growth. In the late 90’s in competition with Southwest Airlines, the company launched a new sub-airline, named as Song. But soon, it started seeing failures due to the lower yields, higher fuel prices, and economic challenges. In the year 2005, the company got bankrupt.

During the bankruptcy, the company sold the old and unused aircraft, and the company shut the unprofitable routes and hubs. At the same time, Delta was trying to find out the loopholes in their functionality and was preparing itself for future with new strategies. In 2007, the company emerged as a polished and better version of its own, hence, operating to lead the company towards success.

On 14 April 2008, the company announced a merger with Northwest Airlines, forming the world’s largest airline. In 2010, the Northwest Airline accepted retirement, making the Delta Air Lines the wholly-owned company. Currently, the airline is functioning as the most prefered airlines across the world, due to its excellent customer service.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou : The Founder of EasyJet

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The airline industry is one of the largest operating industry, in current time. The aeroplanes have truly connected the world and brought it closer. Each day, millions of people travel from one country to another or even within the country, through flights. Therefore, airline companies have also buckled up to provide top-notch services for their customers and make their travel experience unforgettable. One of the main features that airlines are trying to introduce is the cost of air tickets. The aim, is to make air travel affordable, for every individual and some of the companies are already on top of it, like EasyJet.

Founder of EasyJet

EasyJet was founded by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, when he was just 28, in the year 1995. Born on 14th February 1967, in Athens, Greece, his father was a self-made Greek-Cypriot shipping magnate. He is the second child among three children in his family. He has an older brother, Polys, and a younger sister, Clelia.

Stelios Haji-Ioannou
Image Source: The Telegraph

Stelios completed his secondary education in Athens, and then further went to London School of Economics to earn a BSc in Economics, in 1967. After completing his BSc, Stelios went on for a higher degree and enrolled himself in Cass Business School for MSc in Shipping, Trade & Finance.

His outstanding performance in the entrepreneur world was recognized by numerous prestigious institutions. He received four honorary doctorates from Liverpool John Moores University, Cass Business School, Newcastle Business School, and Cranfield University.

Early Career

Stelios started his work, in 1988, with his father’s successful shipping business called Troodos Shipping Co Ltd. He received a sum of £30 million from his father, when he was just 25, and used that money to start his own shipping company named Stelmar Shipping. He was also known as a self-made “serial entrepreneur”.
In 2001, Stelios listed Stelmar Shipping on New York Stock Exchange. And, in 2005, the company was sold to its rival OSG Group, for a whopping $1.3 billion.

The “Easy” Brand

Stelios started the Easy venture, in 1995, with its first business of low-cost airline named EasyJet. This venture was managed by Easy Group, and Stelios took the position of Chairman. The first EasyJet flight operated between Luton and Scotland.

With this first flight service, EasyJet set on to revolutionize entire European air travel. In the last two decades, the airline service has become a stellar success achiever and the most preferred air travel option for flyers.

In 2000, Stelios observed the need to fund the company for further expansion and, therefore, partially floated EasyJet onto the London Stock Exchange. Stelios and his family members are the highest stakeholders in EasyJet and own about 34% of shares, which are calculated worth £6.8bn as of 2015. EasyJet PLC has now become the largest airline company in Europe and owns more than 240 jets, carrying more than 85 million passengers each year.

Stelios joined hands with Lonrho PLC in Africa to start a new low-cost airline service called Fastjet. The airline company started operating on November 29, 2012, with its first aircraft Airbus A319.

Personal Life

Stelios stays in Monaco as his family left Athens when he was a teenager. He is also known for his charitable works and owns a charitable trust called Stelios Philanthropic Foundation. The foundation works towards education, entrepreneurial, and environmental initiatives.

Stelios received a knighthood from HM Queen Elizabeth II, for his services to entrepreneurship.

Tata Takes the Initiative to Appoint the Third CEO of AirAsia India

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AIRASIA
Image Source: thehindu.com

AirAsia India, after much controversies, appointed its third consecutive CEO, again from a non-aviation field. Sunil Bhaskaran, who is currently working as the Vice President of Corporate Services at Tata Steel, will take over as the CEO of AirAsia India from 15 November 2018.

The AirAsia India was founded five years ago in 2013, having appointed its first CEO, the then head of an advisory firm Egon Zehnder International, Mittu Chandilya. Chandilya was also from a non-aviation field, and it brought him many challenges, too. At the time he got caught into a controversy, involving the employment of a lobbyist to get an aviation rule revised.

The second non-aviation CEO of AirAsia India, Amar Abrol, was appointed in April 2016, replacing Mittu Chandilya. Abrol was working as the head of a start-up company, before joining as the CEO of the airline. In May 2018, he left the position of the CEO to accept an important position at the parent company of AirAsia India, in Malaysia.

Bhaskaran is the first CEO of AirAsia India, appointed by Tata Sons. Tata Sons holds 49 per cent shares in AirAsia India, as much as the AirAsia holds itself. CBI had registered a case against Tony Fernandes, the founder of AirAsia group, earlier this year. The appointment of the new CEO by Tata shows the shift of control. Tata Sons are also planning to buy the left two per cent shares of the company that is under Venkataramanan (Tata Trusts trustee) and Ramadorai (Chairman AirAsia India).

Bhaskaran had started his career as a management trainee, at Tata Steel, in 1987, and continued working with the company, for over 40 years. Placing a non-aviation CEO, for the third time, can be a mistake. But, as Tata is trying to get a grip on the company, AirAsia India maybe benefitted with that. Although, in the past one year, the company has generated much more revenue as compared to earlier years. Last year, it had gained a net profit of Rs 13 crore, and the company expanded its airline’s fleet to 19 aircraft.

Qantas Airlines : The Flying Kangaroo of Australia

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Airlines are one of the biggest business and a symbol of pride for every country. For some countries, its aviation industry plays a pivotal role in its development. One such country is Australia which has the third oldest airline in the world named Qantas Airways. It is the flag carrier of Australia, and, also is the largest airline in terms of fleet size and international flights. Qantas is the abbreviated name for the airline’s it stands for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. The airline is also popularly known by its nickname ‘The Flying Kangaroo’.

Early Years

In the early 1920s, three people came together to set up Qantas, that would become one of the most influential airlines in the future. These people were Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinnes, and Fergus McMaster. On 16th November 1920, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited was founded in Winton, Queensland.

The airline set up their headquarters in Winton, Queensland and owned their first aircraft named Avro 504K. The next year they shifted to Longreach, Queensland and after nine years later, i.e. in 1930, they shifted the headquarters to Brisbane, Queensland. Initially, the tickets booking was available in their office set up in a small building in Longreach.

The year 1934 brought a prosperous offer for Qantas Airways. The company, along with British Imperial Airways, formed a new company and called it Qantas Empire Airways, also known as QEA. The air service started between Brisbane and Darwin the same year. The company began international flight service next year in 1935 when it extended airline to Singapore.

But with the World War II, Qantas Airways suffered a huge loss as five of its total ten aircraft were destroyed in the enemy attacks. The rest five were taken by the Australian government for the war services. It was way after, in 1943, that the services resumed again. The logo of Qantas airways consists of a kangaroo, which was first used on the “Kangaroo Route” in 1944 between Sydney and Karachi.

Qantas
Image Source: cloudfront.net

Nationalization & Expansion

The Australian government shortly nationalized Qantas Airways in 1947. It was the decision of the then Labor Prime Minister Ben Chiefly. This led to a complete nationalization of the airways which transferred the domestic flights to Trans Australia Airlines. Qantas now operated within just international networks. This gave the airlines more opportunities to expand its services and the company flew its aircraft to Tokyo, then Hong Kong. Later the headquarters was formed in Sydney and in June 1959, entered into the jet age, with its first Boeing 707-138 aircraft.

Qantas, in 1992, merged with the Trans Australian Airlines and was semi-privatised between 1993 and 1996, with 51% of stakes owned by Australian shareholders. In 2001, Qantas founded a budget airline service, called Jetstar Airways, to compete with the newly entered Virgin Blue Airways in the Australian airline industry. It successfully acquired about 65% of the market share with Virgin Blue acquiring 30%. Qantas is also one of the founding members of Oneworld Airline Alliance.

The company slowly launched its services to other parts of the world including the Asian market. In 2004, it launched Jetstar Asian Airways covering major Asian countries. And it is expanding and increasing its services to other parts of the world too.

Qantas Airways headquarters is situated at Qantas Centre in the Bayside suburb of Mascot, Sydney, New South Wales. The airline has played a major role in the development of Australian aviation industry. The airways carry about 47 million passengers every year and have provided employment to more than 30,000 people. It operates about staggering 7300 flights each week which fly to more than 1000 destinations around the world.

Maurice Flanagan – The Founding CEO of Emirates

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Emirates, world’s number one airlines that have been consistent in maintaining their position on the top for past many years. It is known for providing the world’s best customer service. The company was founded in 1985, with just two aircraft that carried the passengers from and to Dubai, connected with other operators. Emirates is a subsidiary of the government of Dubai and had received $10 million as the startup capital from it. This money was used to lease their first two aircraft from Pakistan International Airlines, along with some technical and administrative support.

The Founder

The founder of Emirates, Maurice Flanagan, was born on 17th November 1928, in Leigh, Lancashire, England. He started his high school at the Leigh Boys Grammar School and then, was transferred to Lymm Grammar School as the World War II broke out.

After completing his high school, Flanagan went to Liverpool University to do his Bachelor’s in History and French and, performed his National Service in the Royal Air Force as a navigator commissioned officer. In November 1951, he received the rank of pilot officer, and in the March of 1954 Flanagan was promoted to the post of flying officer and served as the same, for two years.

Maurice Flanagon
Image Source: www.asiatraveltips.com

Flanagan wanted to become a professional football player. Blackburn Rovers showed an interest in nurturing Flanagan’s talent and take him towards his dream. But, unfortunately, during one evening outing, Flanagan suffered a knee injury that became the reason for his degrading football career.

As his athletic career came to an end, Flanagan started working as a management trainee, with the BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation) and worked in the parts of Kenya, Sri Lanka, India, UK, and Iran. Flanagan worked with BOAC for 25 years, before the launching of Emirates, in 1985. He also had a flair for writing and even won a TV playwriting competition in 1969, organized by a newspaper named Observer. Kenneth Tynan, an English theatre critic and writer, invited him to write for the National Theatre, but, Flanagan chose to go for an airline career as it seemed more secure.

The Dubai Government looked up to Flanagan’s years of experience in the airline industry and were impressed by his talent. So, they appointed him to launch the Emirates. The company was an immediate success, as it recovered all of its initial investment money just in the following year.

The Success Flight of Emirates

Emirates carried more than 260,000 passengers in the year of the launch itself and, promised to grow even further at a staggering rate. Just in the next year, the company launched its services to Southeast Asia and Egypt. And the next year, their expansion reached 11 destinations, with regular flight services. During the first decade, the company reported an average of 30% growth each year and, declared profits for seven years.

Currently, the company has the largest fleet of Boeing 777s, the biggest aircraft in the market, and Airbus A380. Emirates maintain an average age of each aeroplane to about 6.3 years and, is committed to sustaining that standard. Emirates flight services run for 142 destinations in 78 countries.

The central hub of the airline is located at one of the most beautiful airports in the world i.e. Dubai. Emirates are also popular and widespread in the South and Southeast Asia regions. In India itself, the Emirates serves to 9 Indian airports and is the most preferred airline among the businessmen. It’s in-flight, as well as ground services, are commendable. Even economy class passengers get top-class services including comfortable sitting and in-flight entertainment, etc..

Personal Life

Maurice Flanagan retired from executive vice chairman post on April 2013. In his 35 years of service, the airline witnessed staggering growth and profits. He was recognized as Personality of the Year by Flight International Magazine.

He married a journalist named Audrey Bolton in 1955 and gave birth to three children. He has five grandchildren. He died on 7th May 2015 at the age of 86 at his home in London.