Marty St. George Appointed JetBlue President in Surprise Return

It’s back to the future for JetBlue. The airline has confirmed that one of its best-known former executives will be returning to the company later this month. 

Starting February 26, Marty St. George will be the carrier’s new president. He will report to Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue’s current president and incoming CEO.

Geragthy’s appointment follows the news that long-time chief executive Robin Hayes will leave the company. 

St. George was a cornerstone of JetBlue’s leadership team until his exit in 2019, making him one of the airline’s longest-serving executives.

He joined the firm in 2006 as head of planning, deciding where the airline would fly and when. He earned greater responsibility over time, later serving as the company’s senior vice president for marketing.

By the point of his departure in 2019, he had reached the rank of chief commercial officer. St. George is credited with leading the team that created the airline’s popular Mint business class product. He is also described by the airline as a “key architect” of JetBlue’s focus city strategy.

After leaving JetBlue, he was interim chief commercial officer at Norwegian Air Shuttle and also provided airline strategy consulting services. In 2020 he was appointed as chief commercial officer at LATAM Airlines Group.

A Big Brief at an Important Time

In his new role, St. George will head up critical elements of JetBlue’s commercial functions. These include network planning, airline partnerships, revenue management, marketing, and loyalty programs. He’ll also keep check over corporate communications and customer support teams.

St. George will have additional oversight of JetBlue Travel Products – a rapidly expanding direct sales channel that aims to “enhance and disrupt the travel experience as a one-stop shop for all travel needs.”

In a statement, Geraghty described St. George as “the right leader to bring onboard” at an important time for the airline. She said he held “a passion for our industry like few others.” 

St. George’s appointment comes as the carrier faces a major challenge to return to sustained profitability. The airline is still reeling from a decision last month to block its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines.