Etihad Airways appoints GM for Phl operations

CEBU, Philippines -  Etihad Airways has appointed Mr. Juan Torres as General Manager for the Philippines.

This is Juan’s second posting to the Philippines with Etihad Airways. He was the airline’s General Manager, based in Manila, from October 2006 to March 2010.

Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner said the airline was delighted to welcome Juan Torres back to Manila following successful terms as General Manager in Tokyo as well as Brazil, where earlier this year he launched Etihad Airways’ new Abu Dhabi-Sao Paulo services.

“Juan is one of the most experienced airline executives in our global commercial team and it’s with pleasure that we welcome him back to the Philippines,” said Mr Baumgartner. “His previous assignment in the Philippines has equipped him with a deep understanding of the Philippines market and strong stakeholder relationships. Much has changed for Etihad Airways and its relationship with the Philippines since Juan helped launch our services to Manila in 2006. Back then we operated a schedule of four weekly A330-200 flights; today, we serve the Philippines capital with two flights a day and a larger-capacity Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The experience Juan has gained in Japan and Brazil will be a great asset to the airline as it continues to drive its commercial and brand building programs in the Philippines.”

Mr Baumgartner also acknowledged the contribution that outgoing General Manager for the Philippines, John Rees Evans, had made during his tenure in the role.

“John has led the Philippines’ business ably in the 18 months he has been in the role and leaves behind a solid legacy. Key among John’s achievements is the leadership and support he has provided to our Manila-based team and our industry customers – most recently following the catastrophic Typhoon Haiyan. We are delighted to have John relocating to Nepal where he will be responsible for leading the airline’s commercial programs and team in that market. We wish him all the best for the new role,” Mr Baumgartner said.

Juan Torres starts his new role on 3 February 2014, relocating from Sao Paulo where he has been Etihad Airways’ Area General Manager for South America and Brazil since June 2012. Prior to his posting to Brazil, Juan spent two years in Tokyo as Etihad Airways’ General Manager for Japan and played a key role in the launch of Etihad Airways’ services to Tokyo (Narita) and Nagoya.

Before joining Etihad Airways, Juan Torres was with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines where he held a number of key senior management positions in different markets around the world.

Etihad Airways commenced services to the Philippines in February 2006. The airline currently operates 14 services a week to Manila using a two-class Boeing B777 aircraft.  (FREEMAN)