JetBlue Airways has added airline industry veteran Sean Menke, former chief executive of Frontier Airlines, to its board of directors.
Menke replaces Ben Baldanza, who resigned last week.
The board changes, disclosed on 16 September, came in response to Baldanza – who worked as CEO of Spirit Airlines from 2005 to 2016 – notifying JetBlue that he did not intend to seek re-election ahead of the company’s investor day in May 2025.
Baldanza’s resignation was effective 12 September. He had served on JetBlue’s board since 2018.
Menke currently sits on the board of Waste Management and has more than 20 years of airline industry experience, including time as CEO of Frontier and now-defunct Pinnacle Airlines, as well as working in senior commercial and operating roles for Air Canada and Hawaiian Airlines. He will serve on JetBlue’s audit and safety committees.
“Having served in senior leadership positions at several US airlines and as a business partner to airlines, Sean brings deep industry experience in strategy and planning, marketing, operations, revenue management and distribution,” says Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue CEO. ”We look forward to benefiting from his insights and expertise as we execute our JetForward strategy.”
“JetForward” is JetBlue’s recently revealed plan to return to profitability, as the carrier has struggled in recent quarters. It covers operational improvements, network changes, product investments and various cost-saving measures.
If the strategy works as intended, New York-based JetBlue says it will boost its operating profits by $800-$900 million by 2027.