07 Jan 2014 09:00
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has appointed Mr Juan Torres as General Manager for the Philippines.
This is Juan’s second
posting to the Republic of the Philippines with Etihad Airways; he was the
airline’s General Manager, based in Manila, from October 2006 to March 2010.
Etihad Airways’ Chief
Commercial Officer Peter Baumgartner said the airline was delighted to welcome
Juan Torres back to Manila following successful terms as General Manager in
Tokyo as well as Brazil, where last year he launched Etihad Airways’ new Abu
Dhabi- São Paulo services.
“Juan is one of the
most experienced airline executives in our global commercial team and it’s with
pleasure that we welcome him back to the Philippines.
“His previous
assignment in the Philippines has equipped him with a deep understanding of the
Philippines market and strong stakeholder relationships.
“Much has changed for
Etihad Airways and its relationship with the Philippines since Juan helped
launch our services to Manila in 2006. Back then we operated a schedule of four
weekly A330-200 flights; today, we serve the Philippines capital with two
flights a day and a larger-capacity Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.
“The experience Juan
has gained in Japan and Brazil will be a great asset to the airline as it
continues to drive its commercial and brand building programs in the
Philippines.”
Mr Baumgartner also
acknowledged the contribution that outgoing General Manager for the
Philippines, John Rees Evans, had made during his tenure in the role.
“John has led the
Philippines’ business ably in the 18 months he has been in the role and leaves
behind a solid legacy.
“Key among John’s
achievements is the leadership and support he has provided to our Manila-based
team and our industry customers – most recently following the catastrophic Typhoon
Haiyan.
“We are delighted to
have John relocating to Nepal where he will be responsible for leading the
airline’s commercial programs and team in that market. We wish him all the best
for the new role.”
Juan Torres starts
his new role on March 3, 2014, relocating from São Paulo where he has been Etihad Airways’ Area
General Manager for South America and Brazil since June 2012. Prior to his
posting to Brazil, Juan spent two years in Tokyo as Etihad Airways’ General
Manager for Japan and played a key role in the launch of Etihad Airways’
services to Tokyo (Narita) and Nagoya.
Before joining Etihad
Airways, Juan Torres was with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines where he held a number of
key senior management positions in different markets around the world.
Etihad Airways commenced services to the
Philippines in February 2006. The airline currently operates 14 services a week
to Manila using a two-class Boeing B777 aircraft.