Alaska Air Group Names Leaders Across Alaska Airlines and Horizon

(ALASKA, UNITED STATES) Alaska Air Group announced a sweeping round of executive appointments across its mainline and regional operations, saying the changes will take effect in November 2025 and are meant to support growth as the company advances its integration plans with Hawaiian Airlines. The most visible move places Jason Berry as Chief Operating Officer of Alaska Airlines starting November 3, 2025, succeeding Constance von Muehlen, who will retire after nearly 15 years with the company and stay on as an adviser through February 2026. The company said the leadership shifts will reinforce a focus on safety and performance during a year when its network, fleet planning, and people strategies must align.

Key leadership changes and timing

• Jason Berry — named Chief Operating Officer, Alaska Airlines
  • Effective November 3, 2025.
  • Succeeds Constance von Muehlen, who will retire and remain as an adviser through February 2026.
  • Company described a deliberate handover to ensure continuity through the winter schedule and into next year’s planning cycle.
• Andy Schneider — named CEO and President, Horizon Air (regional carrier)
  • Brings 35 years with Alaska Air Group and recent experience as Senior Vice President of People at Alaska Airlines.
• Other promotions to reinforce operations and maintenance:
  • Nathan Engel — Vice President, Maintenance Operations (Alaska Airlines)
  • Carlos Zendejas — Senior Vice President of Operations (Horizon Air)
  • Chéri Ruger — Vice President, People, Labor Relations, and Inflight Operations (Horizon Air)
  • Baron Converse — Vice President, Maintenance and Engineering (Horizon Air)

Background and leadership experience

• Jason Berry brings about 30 years in aviation with leadership roles at Air Canada, Cargolux, McGee Air Services, and time as president of Horizon Air and EVP of cargo for Alaska Air Group.
  This places a leader with both cargo and regional airline experience at the center of Alaska Airlines’ day-to-day operations.

• Andy Schneider has broad experience across operations, inflight services, customer service, and people functions, linking the mainline and regional teams through leaders who have worked across both sides of the business.

Strategic rationale and integration context

• The timing of these promotions is tied to an integration calendar that includes an expected milestone later in 2025: securing a single operating certificate with Hawaiian Airlines.

  • The company positioned the leadership bench to handle added complexity from blending procedures, training, and standards under one umbrella while preserving each brand’s strengths.
• The Federal Aviation Administration oversees such certifications. Background on the certification process is available from the Federal Aviation Administration.

These appointments were framed as a practical step to ensure operational stability as Alaska Air Group approaches that integration stage.

Operations, maintenance, and people focus

• The appointments emphasize:
  • Safety and operational performance
  • Maintenance execution and aircraft reliability
  • Frontline support (crews, mechanics, station teams)
  • A people-first culture amid change
• Specific operational responsibilities:
  • Nathan Engel — charged with aircraft reliability and maintenance execution as schedules remain tight.
  • Carlos Zendejas — leads flight operations, maintenance, engineering, and station operations at Horizon Air.
  • Chéri Ruger — anchors workforce, labor relations, and inflight support.
  • Baron Converse — focuses on fleet readiness and dispatch reliability in regional markets.

Expected benefits for employees and customers

• For employees:
  • Clear chain of command for the busy holiday period and into 2026.
  • Continuity via von Muehlen’s advisory role through February 2026, providing a measured knowledge transfer window.
• For operations and customers:
  • A leader experienced in regional and cargo environments (Berry) guiding day-to-day operations should help maintain schedule precision and ground operations.
  • A veteran like Schneider at Horizon Air aims to align crew planning, maintenance throughput, and station staffing closely with mainline schedules.
  • Promotions in Horizon Air operations and people teams suggest a tightened focus on frontline support, which is critical for regional reliability.

Broader strategy and positioning

• The company framed the reorganization as part of a forward-looking plan to:
  • Maintain a premium service approach
  • Scale for integration with Hawaiian Airlines later in 2025
  • Keep safety and operational performance non-negotiable
• The expanded remit for leaders such as Zendejas, Ruger, and Converse signals that Horizon Air will focus heavily on execution, while Alaska Airlines’ maintenance leadership under Engel will prioritize aircraft availability and reliability.

Timeline and next steps

• Effective date for the COO transition: November 3, 2025 — provides a defined runway to implement changes during the slower winter period before next summer’s peak season.
• Advisory window for von Muehlen: through February 2026 — allows structured time for knowledge transfer across key operational units.

While no new targets were announced, these combined appointments and promotions indicate a company intent on aligning leadership, maintenance, flight operations, and people teams ahead of complex certification and integration work still to come.

Commentary and external perspective

• Alaska Air Group CEO Ben Minicucci praised the transitions as timely and strategic, citing safety, operational excellence, and a people-first culture as guideposts.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests that aligning executive roles ahead of major integration milestones often helps carriers manage:
  • Training programs
  • Labor coordination
  • Customer communications
    with fewer disruptions as systems and procedures evolve.

Takeaway

• The leadership changes create a stronger regional-to-mainline pipeline and concentrate operational decision-making with executives who have deep familiarity across customer-facing and technical areas.
• This structure is intended to support operational stability, preserve a people-first approach during change, and prepare Alaska Air Group for the integration milestones ahead.