Jazeera Airways appoints C-suite leadership

KUWAIT – Jazeera Airways, Kuwait’s leading low-cost carrier, announce three C-suite leadership appointments to support a new era of growth. Captain Ayman Alshammari as Chief Operating Officer (COO) Capt. Ayman, formerly VP of Flight Operations at Jazeera, brings over 33 years of aviation leadership, including roles at Kuwait’s DGCA and Kuwait Airways. A specialist in training, safety, and regulatory oversight, he holds an IATA Airlines Operations Diploma and certifications from Cranfield University. Since joining Jazeera in 2018, he has been key to advancing flight operations, crew training, and operational excellence.

Ginny Sethi as Chief People Officer (CPO) Ginny has been with Jazeera since 2018 and has played a critical role in transforming the company’s culture and aligning people strategies with business goals. With more than 24 years of global HR experience and credentials including FCIPD, PMP™, GPHR®, SPHRi™, and SHRM-SCP, Ginny’s leadership will continue to be instrumental in building an inclusive, high-performing workplace.

Paul Carroll as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) joins Jazeera Airways from the AirAsia Group, where he served as Group Chief Commercial Officer. He brings with him over 20 years of aviation expertise spanning revenue management, ancillary revenue, network planning, marketing, and regulatory affairs across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.

Paul is poised to lead Jazeera’s expansion and drive commercial innovation, supporting plans to grow the fleet, network, and capacity. As CCO, he will also strengthen the airline’s digital and e-commerce presence while expanding ancillary offerings.

Barathan Pasupathi, Chief Executive Officer, Jazeera Airways said: “We are delighted to welcome Paul to the Jazeera family. As we chart a bold path forward, having top-tier talent on board is essential. Paul’s deep expertise and innovative thinking will be key in driving our commercial strategy, supporting the expansion of our network, and helping us shape the future of customer experience through strong digital and direct channels. Having him in our leadership team marks a new era for Jazeera as we unlock further growth potential in the region.”

Paul commented: “Joining Jazeera Airways at this transformative time is truly exciting. I look forward to working with the talented team to deliver on our ambitious roadmap, launch new routes, and strengthen customer experience and engagement through enhanced digital platforms, including a relaunch of our mobile app and website.”

Barathan highlighted “We are also thrilled to see Capt. Ayman and Ginny appointed in these C-suite roles. Their vast expertise and leadership will be critical as we scale our operations to meet growing passenger demand. Capt. Ayman’s commitment to safety, compliance, and operational excellence is unparalleled and Ginny’s passion for people and commitment to excellence align perfectly with our vision of creating a dynamic and supportive culture that drives sustainable growth.”

Ginny added: “I am honored to step into the role of Chief People Officer at Jazeera Airways. It has been a rewarding journey with an incredible team, and I am excited to continue building innovative, people centric solutions that empower our employees and strengthen our culture. Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Jazeera, and I am deeply committed to fostering a workplace where they feel valued, inspired, and equipped to thrive.”

Capt. Ayman said “It’s a privilege to take on this role at such a dynamic time for Jazeera. As we grow and expand into new markets, my priority will be to ensure operational excellence, uphold the highest standards of safety, and drive efficiencies across all areas. I look forward to working with our talented teams to support Jazeera’s ambitious vision and deliver an exceptional travel experience to our customers.”

Barathan further emphasized, “These appointments reinforce our commitment to building the leadership needed for Jazeera Airways’ strategic transformation focused on enhanced passenger experience and customer service. With 26 new Airbus aircraft including 18 A320s and 8 A321s on order and growing passenger traffic we are scaling operations, entering new markets, and accelerating our commercial and e-commerce strategy. This growth brings increased complexity, making it crucial to strengthen our leadership team to navigate the expanding fleet and markets.”

He added, “Aligned with the government’s focus on job creation, we also plan to generate almost 1,000 new roles at Jazeera and 5,000 indirect jobs in Kuwait over the next five years, supporting national employment goals while enhancing our operational capabilities and building technical capacity and skillsets in Kuwait.”

Jazeera Airways currently serves more than 60 destinations and operates 24 aircraft across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and is positioning itself for significant expansion and digital transformation in the years ahead.

Robust Q1 2025 Results with KD 4.7 million Net Profit

In Q1 2025, Jazeera Airways has turned a corner to deliver record first quarter profitability, posting a net profit of KD 4.7 million. This marks a steep improvement in unit revenue and unit cost relative to the same period in 2024, driven by transformation efforts and stringent cost optimization measures.

Group operating revenue grew by 15.5% year-on-year to KD 53.6 million. Driven by a strong demand for travel, passenger traffic grew by 7.7% to 1.2 million, with ancillary revenue growing by 29.1%. Jazeera’s growth captured a 32.3% market share of Kuwait’s passenger traffic, making Jazeera Kuwait’s largest carrier in the quarter.

Marwan Boodai, Chairman, Jazeera Airways said: “We are proud to deliver strong results for the first quarter of 2025. This performance demonstrates that our five-year growth plan and focused investments in digital transformation as well as the expansion of our ancillary revenue streams are delivering tangible outcomes. In addition to this, our focus on delivering the lowest unit cost, particularly in aircraft and operational areas, have further reinforced Jazeera’s foundation for sustained profitability and long-term excellence.”

Financial and Operational Highlights

Q1 2025 Highlights:

First Quarter 2025 Operational Review

During the quarter, Jazeera Airways restarted flights to Sarajevo and announced its largest ever summer network when it will launch four new leisure-focused routes to Budapest (Hungary), Sochi (Russia), Yerevan (Armenia), and Hurghada (Egypt). The airline also introduced innovative ancillary service bundles, “Hayakom” for personalized travel services at Jazeera Terminal 5 (T5) and products for flexible travel like Cancel for Any Reason (CAFR) and Disruption for Any Reason (DAFR).

Positive Outlook

Looking ahead, Jazeera Airways remains focused on executing its five-year growth strategy to optimize operational efficiency, enhance customer experience, and drive low unit cost. The airline is also preparing for a busy summer season with over 700,000 seats on offer and upcoming Hajj traffic while continuing to invest in digital innovations for elevated passenger experience.

As part of its digital transformation strategy, Jazeera has successfully upgraded to a new Passenger Service System (PSS) and launched the first phase of its new Customer Experience (CX) and Feedback Intelligence platform.

Ongoing fleet optimization continues, with a shift to a 180-seat configuration on track and slated to be completed by 4Q 2025. The airline is also awaiting the arrival of 26 new aircraft – 18 A320neo and 8 A321neo. Scheduled for delivery starting 2026, the new fleet will lead to scaling operations, entering new markets and an accelerated commercial and e-commerce strategy. To support increasing passenger traffic, significant upgrades are also being undertaken at Jazeera Terminal 5.

The article Jazeera Airways appoints C-suite leadership first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.