VANCOUVER, BC–(Marketwired – June 21, 2017) – Canada Jetlines Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: JET) (the “Company” or “Jetlines“) is very pleased to announce the appointment of Saad Hammad as an independent director, effective July 1, 2017. Mr. Hammad brings over 30 years of business, executive and Board experience across a variety of sectors, including 9 years with low-cost airlines. Until October 2016, Mr. Hammad served as Chief Executive Officer of Flybe PLC, a UK-based low-cost carrier and the largest independent regional airline in Europe.
During his tenure with Flybe, Mr. Hammad led a transformational turnaround, returning the business to profitability for the first time since the company’s IPO in 2010. This was accomplished through extensive restructuring, driving operational improvements, improving internal culture, and re-establishing the brand and resulting customer satisfaction.
Mr. Hammad also held the role of Chief Commercial Officer for easyJet from 2005 to 2009. Here he led a full commercial turnaround, covering network development, scheduling, sales & distribution, revenue management, ancillary products & services, marketing and customer service, resulting in a doubling of revenue from £1.3 billion in 2005 to £2.7 billion in 2009.
Since 2014 Mr. Hammad has also been a Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Risk Committee at Pegasus, the leading ultra-low cost airline in Turkey.
“The diverse executive expertise that Saad brings to Jetlines’ Board is extremely valuable at this time for the Company,” said Mr. Mark Morabito, Executive Chairman of Jetlines. “His proven ability in creating value and building profitable businesses, particularly in the aviation industry, will contribute enormously to our strategy moving forward.”
Mr. Hammad is based in London, UK, is a graduate from the University of Oxford and holds an MBA from INSEAD Business School in France.
Mr. Hammad will also be granted 225,000 stock options with a five-year term to be vested over a period of twenty-four months and at an exercise price equal to the closing market price on the day prior to his appointment.
About Canada Jetlines Ltd.
Jetlines is set to become Canada’s first ultra-low cost carrier (“ULCC”) airline. With plans to operate flights throughout Canada and provide non-stop service from Canada to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean, Jetlines will service the 10 million passenger trips and 30+ secondary airports that go unserved or underserved across Canada. The Jetlines board and management teams are comprised of industry experts with extensive collective expertise in aviation, start-ups and capital markets, successfully receiving an unprecedented exemption from the Government of Canada that will permit it to conduct domestic air services while having up to 49% foreign voting interests.
For more information on Jetlines, please visit our website at www.jetlines.ca.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD
“Mark J. Morabito”
Executive Chairman
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains “forward-looking information” concerning anticipated developments and events that may occur in the future. Forward looking information contained in this news release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the contributions of Mr. Hammad and the business plan and future airline operations of the Company.
In certain cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does not expect”, “is expected”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates” or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will be taken”, “occur” or “be achieved” suggesting future outcomes, or other expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions, intentions or statements about future events or performance. Forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the accuracy, reliability and applicability of the Jetlines’ business model; the timely receipt of governmental approvals, including the receipt of approval from regulators in Canada, the United States, Mexico and other jurisdictions where Jetlines may operate; the timely commencement of operations by Jetlines and the success of such operations; the ability of Jetlines to implement its business plan as intended; the legislative and regulatory environments of the jurisdictions where the Jetlines will carry on business or have operations; the impact of competition and the competitive response to the Jetlines’ business strategy; and the availability of aircraft. While the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect.
Forward looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include risks related to acts of God, the impact of general economic conditions, changing domestic and international airline industry conditions, volatility of fuel prices, increases in operating costs, terrorism, pandemics, currency fluctuations, interest rates, risks specific to the airline industry, the ability of management to implement Jetlines’ operational strategy, the ability to attract qualified management and staff, labour disputes, regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks, including the risk that the financing necessary to fund operations may not be obtained and the additional risks identified in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s reports and filings with applicable Canadian securities regulators.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) has reviewed or accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information, please contact:
The Howard Group Inc.
Tel: 403.221-9015
Toll Free: 1-888-221-0915
Jeff Walker: jeff@howardgroupinc.com