JetBlue Airways’s Mark Powers will retire as CFO after five years, and will be replaced on an interim basis by Treasurer Jim Leddy. Powers, 63, will serve as an adviser for one year after stepping down on Nov. 1, the New York-based airline said Tuesday. The temporary appointment of 53-year-old Leddy must be approved by JetBlue’s board at a regular meeting next week. “During Mark’s tenure JetBlue has nearly tripled in size in crewmembers, fleet and network,” CEO Robin Hayes said. “We have grown revenue in excess of $4b” and “reduced total debt by $800m,” he said. Powers, who joined JetBlue in 2006 as treasurer, previously worked at Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Texas Air and General Electric Co.’s jet engine unit.<br/>
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A Chinese airline says it will start in December the first non-stop flight service between Las Vegas and mainland China. Hainan Airlines announced Monday that it received final approval with the US Department of Transportation to fly between Sin City and Beijing. The flights going through McCarran International Airport will be on Boeing 787 Dreamliners planes. Service is expected to start Dec. 2 and will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flights run 13 hours going west and 12 hours going east. Vegas tourism officials are celebrating the news as casino companies continue to court Chinese nationals and Chinese-Americans on and off the Strip.<br/>