The debate over gun control spilled over into United Continental’s annual meeting, when an attendee grilled CEO Oscar Munoz about why the carrier severed its ties with the National Rifle Association. Taking such a stand in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, risked alienating millions of potential customers who have firearms or support the right to own them, the person said Wednesday. The shooter wasn’t affiliated with the NRA, the questioner said, “But hey, congratulations on your liberal virtue-signaling.” “Sir, it wasn’t political,” Munoz responded. “It was personal with regard to my family at United.” For Munoz, the tragedy hit home because one of the 17 people killed in the Florida massacre, Gina Rose Montalto, was the teenage daughter of a United captain. About a hundred pilots and other employees of United, JetBlue, American Airlines and FedEx attended her funeral, according to news reports at the time. “That’s why we made the decision,” Munoz said. “We aren’t here to make political conversation or strike political debate. We’re here to serve customers.”<br/>
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United Continental directors face a series of momentous decisions as the board gathers this week at the airline’s headquarters. The to-do list ranges from naming a new chairman to initiating a search for a new CFO. There’s also the debate about long-range planes that will make up the company’s future fleet. The deliberations will shape the carrier into the 2020s, as President Scott Kirby deepens his impact on operations. He favours a simplified fleet, which would suggest adding more Boeing wide-body jets such as the 787 Dreamliner, said aviation consultant Robert Mann. Andrew Levy, the recently departed CFO, focused on the most cost-effective aircraft, whether used planes or Airbus SE models, Mann said -- even if they added operational complexity. The airline has been weighing an order for more Boeing 787-8 planes to replace another aging twin-aisle model. But the decision is probably wrapped into a broader discussion of a new midrange jet family that Boeing is studying. That plane -- nicknamed the 797 by outside analysts -- would target many routes currently served by Boeing’s long-in-the-tooth 757 and 767, two big components of United’s existing fleet. “I’m not sure this is the meeting where they finalize an order, but they are pretty far along in having those conversations,” Savanthi Syth, a Raymond James Financial Inc. analyst, said of a decision on new planes. The board is meeting this week as United CEO Oscar Munoz also hosts the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday. <br/>
United CFO Andrew Levy is stepping down, the carrier said Thursday, in a major management shakeup as the airline's financial performance lags rivals. Levy will be replaced in the interim by Gerry Laderman, a senior United executive, who had served as acting chief financial officer before Levy's appointment. The carrier said it will immediately begin a search for a permanent replacement. Levy said he resigned Monday, May 14, after serving less than two years in the post. "Since my arrival in August 2016, the company has faced several challenges, but we have nevertheless enjoyed success. As satisfying as this job has been, I am considering several exciting opportunities and will choose one in the coming weeks," he said. Levy said he would continue to serve on the board of Copa Holdings, the parent company of Panama's Copa Airlines, as an independent member. United CEO Oscar Munoz said Levy "leaves the company in a stronger financial position and with a clear strategy and framework in place." Munoz said the move did not affect the carrier's prior financial guidance.<br/>
In Africa's battle for the skies, an east African carrier is stepping up its game in an effort to dominate the market. The state-owned Ethiopian Airlines, Africa's largest carrier by number of passengers, has taken stakes in a raft of carriers across Africa and opened routes to new destinations, like Manchester, UK. The expansion is part of the airline's 2025 Vision to become the leading aviation group in Africa, and increase the share of the market occupied by African airlines. "Twenty percent of the market is carried by African airlines and 80% of the market is carried by non-African airlines," said Tewolde Gebremariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines. "The market share has been declining for the last 20 years." Ethiopian Airlines is looking to fend off competition from South African Airways, EgyptAir, Royal Air Maroc and Kenya Airways. Tewolde said that Ethiopian Airlines are expanding into West Africa with Togolese airline ASKY Airlines. They're also doing business with Air Cote d'Ivoire, Congo Airways and have taken management of CEIBA International in Equatorial Guinea. The airline has ambitious plans; Ethiopia is working with the Zambian government to relaunch their national carrier with a 45% stake, it also plans to establish a wholly-owned airline in Mozambique and has signed a contract to start an airline in Guinea. Ethiopian has also taken stakes in a Chadian airline. Ethiopian Airlines is launching new routes from Addis Ababa to Jakarta, Chicago and Geneva in the coming months. The airline is looking to make the Ethiopian capital a transport hub, connecting other African countries without long-haul capacity with continents around the world.<br/>
The Indian government Tuesday made it clear that Air India divestment is not a distress sale and that the process will be concluded only at the right price. “The government retains the right to sell or not to sell AI if the bid price is found to be inadequate,” aviation secretary R N Choubey said, adding that the divestment move has generated a lot of “positive buzz”. “We are confident this move will be successful. But the transaction will happen only at the right price.” The government, which hopes AI has a new owner before the year-end, had earlier extended the last date for qualified interested bidders eligible to bid to June 15 from May 31. The last date for interested bidders to submit their expressions of interest has also been postponed to May end from May 14. The highest bidder would be known by end of August, Choubey said, and will have to meet substantial ownership and effective control norms and get security clearances before the stake sale takes place. <br/>