James Hogan was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways on 10 September 2006, and brings more than 30 years of travel industry expertise to the Abu Dhabi-based airline.

He has overseen rapid growth of the UAE’s national airline, which now serves 111 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Americas operating a fleet of 116 modern environmentally friendly aircraft.

In July 2008, he signed one of the largest aircraft orders in history for up to 205 aircraft worth approximately US$43 billion at list prices, to meet the airline’s ambitious long-term growth plans. This was followed in November 2013 with an order for up to 200 aircraft worth US$67 billion to make provision for the airline’s growth up to 2025.

CEO Middle East Magazine named him Aviation CEO of the Year. He won the CAPA Airline Executive of the Year 2012 Award at the Centre for Aviation’s global awards for excellence and leadership.

At the Airline Strategy Awards presented in London in July 2013, he received the Executive Leadership Award in recognition of his “influence on the aviation industry, outstanding strategic thinking, and innovative direction for growth.” In April 2014, he was inducted into The British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame in honour of his “significant part in creating and developing the travel and tourism industry in Britain and globally”.

James started his career in 1975 at Ansett Airlines, and subsequently held senior positions with bmi, Hertz, Forte Hotels and Gulf Air.

At Hertz, his roles included directorships of the marketing, sales and operations divisions. In 1995, based in London, he joined the executive management committee as Vice President, Marketing & Sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In 1997, James became Service Director for bmi British Midland, leaving in 1998 to join the Granada Group as Worldwide Sales Director, where he sat on the Board of Forte Hotels.

He returned to bmi in 1999 as Chief Operating Officer. There he was responsible for flight and ground operations, sales and marketing, commercial, cargo, engineering and handling service companies, and was a member of the Board.

James moved back to his native Australia in 2001, where he was appointed Chief Executive of the Tesna consortium, which was created with the aim of acquiring Ansett Airlines from administration, before joining Gulf Air in 2002, where he served as President and Chief Executive for four years.

James is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He currently serves as Vice Chairman on the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Board of Governors.

He also serves as Vice Chairman on the Boards of equity partners, airberlin, Air Serbia, Alitalia, and Jet Airways.

He is a former member of the Board’s Audit Committee, of Gallaher Plc and the UBS Industrial Board. In 2010, he served as the Chairman of the Aviation Travel and Tourism Governors at the World Economic Forum.