Universal Air CEO Simon Cook quits amid flight cuts
Airline announced last week it would end commercial passenger flights after just over one year in operation and following a ‘commercial strategic review’
Universal Airlines CEO Simon Cook has said he will leave the company after it was announced that the airline will cease all commercial passenger flights at the end of the month.
His departure was announced in an e-mail to staff, according to a post on aviation-focused Facebook page Malta Aviation Outlook.
Cook confirmed to Times of Malta that he was stepping down from the role, with preparations for a swift handover under way. He said it was the “right time to leave” after three years with the company.
Last week, Universal Air announced it would end commercial passenger flights after just over one year in operation and following a “commercial strategic review”.
Cook was at the helm during the decision to enter the commercial passenger market. He told Times of Malta in an interview last year that the airline could offer a middle ground between budget airlines and expensive operators.
Targeted smller, lesser-known airports
It targeted smaller, lesser-known airports with its fleet of Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft (a jet engine-propeller hybrid).
While declining to comment on the company’s decision to cease commercial passenger flights, Cook expressed confidence in Universal Air staying in Malta, noting the country’s “strategic location” in Europe.
Asked about potential layoffs, Cook did not confirm whether any Malta-based staff would lose their jobs, saying he would “allow the new person to work on that”.
Meanwhile, sources in the aviation said there was “shock” among Universal Air employees at the surprise decision to end commercial flights.
One source pointed to reports of slow growth in commercial passenger sales as contributing to the decision.
Questions sent to Universal Air last week remain unanswered.