Alaska Air Group Announces Promotions of Two Senior Leaders

SEATTLE, May 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Alaska Air Group, Inc. today announced the promotion of two senior leaders. Ben Minicucci was appointed president and chief operating officer of Alaska Airlines, and David Campbell was appointed chief executive officer and president of Horizon Air.

Minicucci has been Alaska's chief operating officer and executive vice president since December 2008. Previously, he served as vice president of Seattle operations, where he led the performance of the airline's largest hub. Minicucci joined the company in 2004 as staff vice president of maintenance and engineering.

Minicucci joined Alaska from Air Canada, following 14 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada, and also completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program for senior executives.

"Ben has earned this promotion," said Brad Tilden, Alaska's CEO. "His strong leadership skills, and his commitment to safety, operational reliability and customer service have helped make Alaska the top performing U.S. airline on many of the measures most important to our customers. In addition to leading his team to deliver consistent operational excellence and superior customer service, Ben will also lead the integration process for the planned acquisition of Virgin America, which will help us create the premier airline for people living on the West Coast."

Campbell, based in Portland, Oregon, joined Horizon as president and chief operating officer in July 2014 with more than 25 years of experience in maintenance and flight operations. Prior to joining Horizon Air, he served as vice president of maintenance and engineering at jetBlue Airways and as vice president of safety and operational performance at American Airlines. He joined American in 1988 after serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. Campbell holds a master's of business administration in management from the University of Texas Arlington, and a bachelor's in business administration/management from Louisiana Tech University.

"Since Dave came onboard just shy of two years ago, he's brought new energy to Horizon, and has positioned it for substantial growth from our West Coast hubs," Tilden said. "Under Dave's leadership, Horizon Air has become more customer focused and more productive, and has recently placed the largest aircraft order in its history – an order for 30 Embraer E175 regional jets."

The appointments are effective immediately.

Alaska Airlines, a subsidiary of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together with its partner regional airlines, serves more than 100 cities through an expansive network in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Traditional Carriers in North America" in the J.D. Power North American Airline Satisfaction Study for nine consecutive years from 2008 to 2016. Alaska Airlines' Mileage Plan also ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Airline Loyalty Rewards Programs" in the J.D. Power Airline Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report for the last three consecutive years. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Air Group, Inc.