Flair Airlines says CEO Stephen Jones is retiring

Flair Airlines CE Stephen Jones will be retiring this summer after more than three years at the helm of the discount carrier. The CEO’s tenure spanned a turbulent period for the seven-year-old company as the airline expanded its fleet but also hit financial headwinds amid stiff competition. Flair said Tuesday a recruitment process for a replacement is underway and that chief operating officer Maciej Wilk was named interim CEO until the board selects a successor. Jones is set to step down on June 28, he said. The Edmonton-based airline’s 20-plane fleet will “continue operating normally” during the transition, even as some hurdles from the past 18 months remain, the company said. Jones said he felt ready to retire and faced “no pressure to move on.” “I’m just at an age and stage in my life that I want to achieve some other goals,” said Jones, who turns 63 in a couple of weeks. I’ve been working pretty much non-stop for 40 years — and some pretty tough jobs.”<br/>