Today, Alaska Airlines, headquartered in Washington, announced a leadership update following its merger with Hawaiian Airlines last week. The board of directors of Alaska Airlines elected Ian Morgan as the new Vice President of Cargo. Morgan will lead the new/combined cargo division of Hawaiian Airlines (HA) and Alaska Airlines (AS) as they look to grow the business. In a significant move, Alaska Airlines, which recently finalised its $1.9 billion acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, appointed Jason Berry as Alaska Air Group’s Executive Vice resident of cargo. Moreover, Berry will also continue in his role as President of Horizon Air.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled about this next chapter for Alaska Air Cargo,” said Alaska Air Group President and CEO Ben Minicucci in a recent statement. “With these leaders, we’re well positioned for unlimited future success as we grow and expand our cargo operations to deliver for everyone who depends on us,” he added.

Morgan has 40 years of global experience in air cargo and aviation. He began his career with British Airways in 1994 followed by a three-year stint with AeroLink, an aviation broking, trading and leasing company. In October 1999, Morgan joined Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) as the senior Vice President for cargo in Dallas-Fort Worth. This was followed by more than a 12-year stint with Cargolux Airlines as its Vice President for the Americas.

In March 2014, Morgan joined Qatar Airways as its Vice President of cargo for the Americas, a job he left only in May 2023. Under his leadership at Qatar Airways as Vice President cargo, the Americas, the airline became a core and preferred carrier for the freight forwarding community achieving significant growth. Before the Qatar Airways Cargo, he spent just over a year as the President of Centurion Cargo Airlines based in Miami. Before taking up the cargo job at Alaska Airlines, Morgan was the Group Commercial Director for the USA at ECS Group.

Now, as VP of Cargo at Alaska Airlines, Morgan will lead the daily cargo operations and its 600 employees. He will also manage the continued expansion of Alaska Air Group’s cargo business, which operates through both Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

Jason Berry, with nearly 30 years of air cargo leadership experience at airlines, including Air Canada Cargo, Cargolux, and Alaska Air Cargo, played a crucial role in transitioning Alaska’s fleet to 737-700 freighters. He also led McGee Air Services. In January 2023, he became Horizon Air’s SVP of operations, later becoming President in November. With the new appointment, Berry will provide enterprise oversight of Alaska Air Group’s cargo business while continuing in his separate role as Horizon Air President, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group.

Adam Drouhard, the current Managing Director for Alaska Air Cargo and Pat Rosa, who is the Managing Director of cargo at Hawaiian Airline will continue in the same roles, and both will report to Morgan. Drouhard has been with Alaska Airlines for nearly 17 years, leading different cargo functions. In April 2021, he was elevated to the post of Managing Director of cargo. On the other hand, Rosa has been with Hawaiian for over eight years.

Both airlines have started the process of securing a single operating certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Once the certificate is approved, the airlines will operate as a single entity while maintaining their individual public-facing brands, Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

“I’m humbled to have the role and excited to help the business grow, but it really is going to be Ian running the business and he will be the face of the new cargo division at Alaska,” said Berry in a message to The STAT Trade Times. “More to come on the final organisational structure,” Berry added.

The recent leadership appointments reflect the importance of cargo as a key strategic function for both Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. This supports essential customer needs in the communities they serve. The recent release claims that their combined cargo networks offer a unique opportunity to strengthen both brands globally and domestically. They plan to leverage their shared understanding of air cargo’s critical role in these regions.

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