News Americas, ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, Mon. March 31, 2014: A British airline executive has been handed the reins of LIAT airlines, a company statement this morning said.
David Evans has been named by the beleaguered carrier’s board of director as the Chief Executive Officer, effective 22nd April 2014.
Evans assumes the chief executive responsibilities from Mrs. Julie Reifer-Jones, who has been Acting CEO since the resignation of Captain Ian Brunton in September 2013.
Evans, according to LIAT, has more than 35 years of experience in senior roles within the aviation industry. Between 1975 and 1997, he served as airport manager, country manager and area manager with British Airways in East Africa, Saudi Arabia, France, Philippines, China, Denmark and the United States. In this latter role, he held responsibility for the airline’s activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
In 1997, he became managing director, British Airways Regional, a position held until 2001 when he became Managing Director, British Airways CitiExpress and BA Connect, serving in that capacity for six years.
He joined the United Nations UNDP program in 2007 and under their auspices served as Chief Operating Officer of Zambian Airways in 2007. In 2009 he joined Kuwait start-up airline Wataniya Airways as Chief Commercial Officer. Since then he has provided strategic and commercial consultancy services to Egypt’s Nile Air and other organizations in the Middle East.
LIAT has come under severe criticism in recent months for its delayed and often late service. Dominica hotelier, Gregor Nassief, has been especially critical insisting heads should rolls at the airline and even calling for St. Vincent & the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves, to step aside as chairman of the board.
