The FlightHub Group announces appointment of new Chief Executive Officer as it advances towards emergence from its restructuring process
MONTREAL, Dec. 15, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - The FlightHub Group's Board of Directors has named Christopher Cave as its new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Chris joined the organization in September 2019 as Chief Operating Officer and has played a key role, alongside other members of the Executive team, in leading the company through the biggest downturn the travel industry has ever faced. The company expects a smooth and successful transition with Chris having already demonstrated a strong capacity to lead the organization through even the toughest of times.
"I am proud to take on this new role and lead a team of amazing people as we look forward towards a recovery of the travel market starting in 2021", says Mr. Cave. "While faced with unpreceded challenges in the past year, our teams have worked around the clock at adapting operations and strengthening our business for the future. The entire team at FlightHub remains committed to delivering on our value proposition to customers, which is providing travelers with an intuitive shopping experience that offers the most relevant itineraries at the best prices."
FlightHub's entire team is extremely proud to have survived throughout the most devastating downturn that the flight industry has ever faced. In addition to drops in new bookings and revenues of up to 90%, the company was faced with the challenge of having to support a large number of existing customers seeking cancellations or changes to their reservations at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to increases in post-booking service inquiries by up to 15X at a time when the company's main service centers were facing government-imposed lock downs, hampering the company's ability to ramp-up customer service capacity. The company worked hand-in-hand with its partners to enable remote work and ensure continuity of its customer service operations.
As the airline industry was understandably unprepared for such radical changes in travel restrictions and mass cancellations, FlightHub rapidly focused on developing new technology and tools that could facilitate cancellations and exchanges. Improvements came in the following days and weeks while keeping pace with an unprecedented number of changes in policies and rules from each of the 200+ airlines represented by FlightHub.
FlightHub was unfortunately forced to lay off more than 60% of its employees working at its Montreal headquarters and service center at the end of the first quarter. With challenges seeming almost unsurmountable, the dedication, resilience and selflessness exhibited by the entire FlightHub team was remarkable. "Our Executive team is extremely grateful to all of our employees and their continued fight each day for one another and for our customers.", says Mr. Cave.
The company entered into a restructuring process under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act ("CCAA") in May 2020, which enabled it to stabilize its business in response to the market downturn. "Our shareholders and Board of Directors' support have been instrumental to the organization" , says Marc Ghobriel, Chief Financial Officer at FlightHub. "When virtually everyone was writing off the industry, our shareholders demonstrated their commitment to FlightHub and its team by providing the funds that are enabling us to restructure the business so we can successfully emerge for the CCAA proceedings", adds Mr Ghobriel. "It is imperative to also recognize and thank all of our partners, who have supported and worked collaboratively with us throughout 2020 to ensure continuous operations, for both the servicing of existing travel plans and enabling customers to make new bookings", adds Mr. Ghobriel.
FlightHub has also worked collaboratively with the Canadian Competition Bureau and the US Department of Transportation throughout 2020 with the aim of improving the online shopping experience of its customers. "FlightHub commends the Competition Bureau and US DOT for driving best practices in the online marketplace, and we take pride in leading the way across the online travel industry in Canada.", says Mr. Ghobriel.
Finally, Flighthub would like to thank all of its customers for their patience and continued support throughout 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world in many different ways, and customers with travel plans for themselves, their families and friends, were certainly impacted. While the company worked tirelessly to assist travellers, FlightHub appreciates the patience and understanding of its customers throughout recent months. Flighthub is committed more than ever to achieving the highest customer satisfaction and encourages all travellers to reach out with any and all questions, requests or concerns they have with their reservations.
About FlightHub and Justfly
FlightHub and Justfly are among the world's leading online travel agencies. They make travel accessible, allowing more people to visit new places and explore different cultures by offering great itineraries at the best prices to worldwide destinations. This is achieved by investing heavily in both people and technology, with a strong focus on providing a great customer experience. Visit flighthub.com or justfly.com to book online.
SOURCE FlightHub
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