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

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

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

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.