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Airlines for America President and CEO Announces His Retirement

Airlines for America President and CEO Announces His Retirement
Airlines for America President and CEO Announces His Retirement
Written by Harry Johnson

The search for Calio’s successor will be led by A4A Board Chairman and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, along with Board Vice Chairman and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, and will commence without delay.

After serving for 14 years as the President and CEO of Airlines for America (A4A), the foremost association representing passenger and cargo carriers, Nicholas E. Calio announced today his intention to retire from the organization at the conclusion of 2025.

During Calio’s tenure, A4A underwent a rebranding and sharpened its mission to serve as a powerful advocate in shaping legislative and regulatory frameworks that enhance air travel and cargo shipping for consumers. Renowned for his consensus-building skills, Calio revitalized the association by fostering collaboration among airlines, labor unions, Congress, the executive branch, key government agencies, and international governments to advance the safety, security, and health of the U.S. airline sector.

“All of this has been possible because of A4A’s strong Board of Directors. I have been fortunate to work for and with some of the sharpest minds in business over the past 14 years and blessed with A4A Board Chairs Scott Kirby, Robin Hayes, Gary Kelly, Brad Tilden and Doug Parker, some of whom served twice. They have been willing to commit their time and to put aside the individual interests of their companies on behalf of the larger industry,” said Calio. “Together, we have accomplished so much for so many, and I have learned from their counsel and benefited from their enduring friendship. I am thankful to have worked alongside such a dedicated and strategic Board.”

Calio has played a pivotal role in several FAA reauthorization negotiations and was crucial in preventing a complete crisis during the implementation of the 5G C-Band in 2022. His leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic was vital in preserving the industry from devastation, as he collaborated closely with Congress, labor organizations, and various stakeholders to establish the Payroll Support Program, successfully securing $60 billion through the CARES Act to maintain employment for airline workers.

“We worked with both sides of the political aisle, both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as labor, suppliers, manufacturers, various associations and others,” Calio said. “Our Board members were unified and laser focused on saving countless jobs, their companies and the U.S. airline industry.”

Calio concurrently engaged with Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to undertake independent research focused on air quality within aircraft. The findings indicated that, due to multiple layers of protection, the risk of COVID-19 exposure during air travel is exceedingly low.

In recent times, Calio has been vocal about the need to tackle the shortage of air traffic controllers, emphasizing that proactive measures are necessary to address retirements and attrition challenges faced by the FAA. He has highlighted the critical need for innovative strategies in recruitment, hiring, and training, including revitalizing the Collegiate Training Initiative (CTI) program. Furthermore, Calio has underscored the importance of ensuring that the FAA’s Facilities & Equipment budget is adequately funded and that the agency possesses the flexibility to confront urgent modernization challenges, particularly as the US airline industry experiences unprecedented levels of air travel, employs one million individuals, and transports millions of tons of cargo globally, all while maintaining its status as the safest mode of transportation.

Calio, a member of the association since 2011, is set to retire upon the conclusion of his contract. He will remain in his leadership role and support the board in the process of finding his replacement.

The search for Calio’s successor will be led by A4A Board Chairman and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby, along with Board Vice Chairman and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom, and will commence without delay.

A4A Board Chairman and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby commended Calio’s tenure saying: “Nick has been a leading voice for the airline industry and aviation in general during a time of both challenge and opportunity. He has been a strong advocate for our businesses, our employees and our customers in the halls of Congress, in the administration and overseas. Because of Nick, A4A is well-positioned to continue the mission to advance the airline industry and has a strong foundation on which his successor will build. We are very pleased that Nick will stay onboard to ensure a smooth transition.”

Former A4A Board Chairman and Chairman and CEO of Airbus in North America Robin Hayes (former JetBlue CEO) applauded Calio’s leadership commenting: “Nick personally turned A4A into the premiere and most influential trade association in Washington, D.C. His deep, meaningful relationships with people he has known for years coupled with his deep knowledge and his ability to get things done are exemplary. And Nick never gives up. The reason why we have an airline industry at all today is because of Nick’s formidable determination, strategic thinking and bold leadership. Everyone working in an airline today should be incredibly grateful for Nick and his wonderful team who are real superstars.”

Former A4A Board Chairman and former Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said: “Nick has always known how to wrangle our board members—who are all competitors—and drive very meaningful discussions and reach pragmatic compromise on a range of issues over the years. His greatest talent and most valuable contribution may have been his ability to manage the various opinions, competing interests and a few egos along the way. His work with Harvard’s NPLI regarding the air quality safety in the cabin was absolutely superb and was instrumental in providing confidence in air travel at a critical time and was critical to restarting air travel after the pandemic.”

Former A4A Board Chairman and former American Airlines CEO Doug Parker added: “Nick has done amazing things for our industry and for A4A. Under his leadership, we became a much stronger, more cohesive industry, and we became a stronger voice and a much more respected organization in D.C. That was especially apparent during the COVID pandemic when he led our effort to save hundreds of thousands of jobs, saved our industry and saved much of US Commerce during that time.”

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