Airline Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

A career leading to an Airline CEO role brings together aviation knowledge, business leadership, and strategic thinking to guide an airline’s overall direction, safety, and performance.

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Companies who actively recruit for this role

About the role

A career as an Airline CEO combines a love of aviation with big-picture thinking and leadership, guiding the airline safely and successfully every day.

Most Airline CEOs start by gaining experience in different parts of the aviation world — this could be flying, engineering, airport operations, finance, or customer service. From there, they move into management roles, learning to lead teams, make smart decisions, and run complex operations.

As you gain more experience, you might step into senior roles like Head of Operations or Chief Operating Officer, building the skills needed to take the top job. Becoming a CEO takes years of learning, problem-solving, and leadership, but it’s a career where you can make a real impact on an airline and the people it serves.

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Safety briefing in progress with a man in a yellow reflective vest speaking to a group wearing safety headphones and vests.

Why learn with JNPAT?

We do more than just teach aviation - we immerse you in it!

When you learn with us you are trained by experienced industry experts where the action happens - in fully equipped aviation workshops and Aero Clubs, utilising our ATR-72 training aircraft and industry-replica ground handling equipment, and with behind-the-scenes exposure in your local airport.

Everything we do is designed to give you a true-to-life learning experience.