US regional carrier PSA Airlines has picked Chris McCartney to be its first-ever chief operating officer to help guide the company through a period of growth.
PSA, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, says that McCartney stepped into the COO role on 20 August. He reports directly to chief executive Dion Flannery.
McCartney worked for the past six years as the head of maintenance and engineering for Las Vegas-based ultra-low-cost carrier Allegiant Air. He previously worked for regional airline Republic Airways, where he began his career as a maintenance technician.
”McCartney is recognised for his expertise in fleet and budget management, cost reduction and continuous improvement,” PSA says.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based PSA has established in recent years several new crew and maintenance bases, and relocated its headquarters from Dayton, Ohio.
Over the past decade, PSA has tripled the number of regional jets it operates and introduced new transborder flights to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
“Given this growth trajectory and with our headquarters relocation… we determined the need for a ‘C-level’ leader dedicated to operations,” Flannery says. ”Chris McCartney’s airline leadership experience, deep understanding of regional aviation, and expertise in reliability-centred maintenance and engineering make him a perfect fit for this strategic role.”
Slower pilot-hiring at major US airlines reduces pilot attrition for regional carriers, allowing airlines such as PSA to focus on introducing more aircraft into service.
Flannery told Airline Business in April that “attrition has slowed down substantially”.
”It’s quite predictable and quite manageable, so we’re not required to hire as many people on a monthly basis,” he said. ”We have ample first officers that meet qualifications to upgrade to captain, and that is fuelling a well-orchestrated growth plan at PSA in 2025 and beyond.”
PSA operates a fleet of about 140 MHIRJ CRJ-family jets, providing regional connectivity and passenger flow-through for American’s international network.
