James Hogan has travelled a long way since starting his career at the check-in desk of Ansett Airlines more than 35 years ago.
He moved up the corporate ladder at a variety of major service industry companies before joining Etihad Airways in 2006 as chief executive.
But his early experience in dealing with truculent passengers has made him an ideal choice to take Abu Dhabi’s flag carrier to the next level.
Known for a no-nonsense approach and common touch, Mr Hogan is in his element fending off accusations of unfair competition by European and US carriers. And with his rugby-player’s frame, his shoulders are broad enough to cope with some of the criticisms that have been levelled against the airline.
The latest flak that came his way was fired by Pierre-Henri Gourgeon, the Air France-KLM chief executive, who accused Gulf airlines of benefiting unfairly from export guarantees for Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
Mr Hogan’s response is at once considered and forthright. “Why do European and North American airlines have a colonial right to rule the world?” he said in a recent interview.
“We have to be careful that one or two airline CEOs with vested interests don’t blow this issue out of proportion.”
Despite his apparent outrage, Mr Hogan could equally take the West’s comments as a form of flattery. Implicit is a recognition of the speed with which Etihad has grown from a fledgling operator into a global aviation contender in his little more than four years at the helm.
Since he took over, the carrier has added 33 destinations and 35 new aircraft, and increased the number of passengers carried each year from 2.8 million in 2006, to more than 7 million last year.
With this rapid growth, Mr Hogan continued a pattern set by his predecessors: in June 2006, a few months before he was appointed the chief executive of Etihad, the airline launched its 30th destination since it was formed at the end of 2003. And during Mr Hogan’s tenure, Etihad has branched out in new ways. It has focused on award-winning service and cabin offerings, become an integral part of Abu Dhabi’s 2030 plan, and secured a flurry of code-share alliances with other airlines to extend its reach. The latest of these was a major strategic alignment with the Virgin Blue Group signed last August to target the Australian market.
As the airline has grown, Mr Hogan has increasingly emphasised its "brand ambassador" role for the capital including sponsorships of an Australian football stadium, the Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix and the English Premiership football team Manchester City.
Mr Hogan, 54, started at the sharp end of the airline industry.
“I began my career at the check-in desk,” he said.
Several promotions later, he moved into senior positions at bmi, Forte Hotels and then Hertz, where he spent 13 years. Mr Hogan returned to Australia in 2001, where he was appointed the chief executive of the Tesna consortium, created as part of an unsuccessful effort to acquire Ansett Airlines from administration.
His experience in the Middle East began a year later when he was appointed the chief executive of Gulf Air. He soon instituted a turnaround programme dubbed Project Falcon, which would seek Gulf Air’s first profits since 1997.
In 2004, Gulf Air swung back into the black, posting a US$4 million (Dh14.69m) profit and burnishing Mr Hogan’s management credentials. At Gulf Air, he also discovered a flair for marketing, re-branding the airline and launching unique services such as Gulf Traveller, an all-economy service based at Abu Dhabi International Airport, Sky Chefs, which features five-star chefs whipping up meals in-flight for first-class travellers, and Sky Nannies, an in-flight childcare service.
Mr Hogan resigned from Gulf Air in mid-2006, saying at the time that Project Falcon had been completed. Months later, Etihad installed him as its chief executive.
At Etihad, Mr Hogan turned his attention to putting the “glue” in the airline’s network, increasing the number of flights and re-aligning flight times to better co-ordinate the flow of travellers across Etihad’s hub.
He also introduced narrow-body aircraft into the fleet, giving the airline improved flexibility and extended service to routes with lighter demand.
On Mr Hogan’s watch, the carrier rose to sixth place in the Skytrax worldwide airline ranking survey for last year (second in the region only to Qatar Airways, which finished third). In addition, Etihad walked away with Skytrax’s top honours for best business class in 2009, and best first class last year.
With an eye to the next phase of growth, Mr Hogan in 2008 presided over Etihad’s largest aircraft order, and one of the biggest deals in aviation history.
The deal, made during the 2008 Farnborough International Airshow in the UK, included commitments for 100 aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, plus options for another 105 aircraft. If all options are exercised, the order will be worth $43bn at list prices.
But as Etihad reaches a critical mass, analysts say Mr Hogan and the carrier will face a host of challenges in the highly competitive market for international air travel, especially with such ambitious neighbours as Emirates Airline and Qatar Airways.
igale@thenational.ae
ENGLAND SQUAD
Goalkeepers Henderson, Johnstone, Pickford, Ramsdale
Defenders Alexander-Arnold, Chilwell, Coady, Godfrey, James, Maguire, Mings, Shaw, Stones, Trippier, Walker, White
Midfielders Bellingham, Henderson, Lingard, Mount, Phillips, Rice, Ward-Prowse
Forwards Calvert-Lewin, Foden, Grealish, Greenwood, Kane, Rashford, Saka, Sancho, Sterling, Watkins
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Company%20Profile
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)
Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no
Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)
Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22
Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets
Frankenstein in Baghdad
Ahmed Saadawi
Penguin Press
Company%C2%A0profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5