After losing legal challenges over its proposed merger with Spirit, and hiring a new CEO in Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue has welcomed back into the fold its former chief commercial officer Marty St George as company president. 

St George will begin the new role on 26 February and will report to Geraghty when he takes on the role she is leaving to become CEO. 

According to the airline, St George was a key leader at the company during his 13-year stint in management. 

“St George was a key architect of the carrier’s focus city strategy, led its successful entry into airline partnerships, and oversaw its distinctive brand and innovative product strategy” JetBlue’s statement read. 

He left the company’s C-suite in 2019 and has since worked at several other airlines including Norwegian and LATAM. 

Upon his return to JetBlue, St George will reprise his leadership of commercial functions, including “marketing, loyalty, network planning, airline partnerships, sales and revenue management”. 

“I’m energized to be returning to JetBlue at this pivotal time in its history. JetBlue has incredibly passionate people and one of the best brands in the industry. I’m eager to get to work to help drive the business forward for the benefit of our crewmembers, customers, and owners alike,” St George said. 

Incoming CEO Joanna Geraghty added: “With more than 30 years of experience in aviation and a passion for our industry like few others, Marty’s the right leader to bring onboard as we embark on our focused plan to get back to profitability.”

“I look forward to working with Marty to ensure that our crewmembers are set up for success in serving our customers and can deliver the reliability we know is critical to generating financial returns and powering long-term, sustainable growth.” 

One of St George’s first challenges will be managing the communications around JetBlue and Spirit’s appeal against the court decision to block their merger.