Etihad commercial chief Arik De leaves with immediate effect; no successor named

Etihad Airways Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer Arik De has left the Abu Dhabi-based carrier with immediate effect, ending a tenure of nearly five years during which he oversaw much of the airline’s commercial strategy.

De confirmed his departure in a LinkedIn post on October 8, 2026.

Etihad has not yet issued a public statement on his exit or named a successor, though De’s profile has been removed from the airline’s leadership page.

De credits team for Etihad’s growth from $3 billion to nearly $10 billion in revenue

In his farewell post, De pointed to the scale of the airline’s financial turnaround during his time there.

“Today, nearly 5 years later, a wonderful chapter of my life comes to an end,” he wrote. “Proud to have been part of the great Etihad transformation – from an airline with 3B USD in revenue to nearly 10B USD, and a sustainable profit trajectory that allows for a bright future.”

De suggested that the airline he leaves is “fundamentally different in every aspect” from the one he joined, and greater diversity at every leadership level. He stressed that the achievement he is proudest of is his team, which he said deserves “all the credit for where Etihad is today”.

He thanked several members of his leadership team by name. Among them was Aysha Al Kaabi, whom he described as a pioneer for Emirati women leaders. He also thanked Jurriaan Stelder, Jennifer Murray, Mark Potter, Wei Jin, Adrià Rabassa Grabalosa and Javier Alija, who have worked alongside him for almost the entire period. He also mentioned Dani Ryan and Jyotsna Kaur Chowdhry, who joined more recently, and said they had proven to be “the right choice to lead the world’s fastest growing airline”.

However, the post did not mention Etihad Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves, to whom De reported.

De ended with thanks to Abu Dhabi and the UAE: “Without the platform this country provides, I could not have gone beyond the borders of what was deemed possible,” he wrote. “As I look forward to my next role, I will forever remain in debt.”

He did not say where he is headed next.

Commercial chief role vacant as Etihad prepares 2027 premium lounge rollout

De’s exit leaves one of Etihad’s most senior commercial posts unfilled. As recently as last month, he was publicly promoting the airline’s new premium lounge concept, which is scheduled to begin rolling out in 2027.

Background: from revenue VP to head of Etihad’s commercial division

De joined Etihad in April 2022 as Vice President of Revenue and Commerce, responsible for revenue management and e-commerce. In January 2023, the airline named him Chief Revenue Officer, a newly-created position reporting to CEO Antonoaldo Neves.

When announcing that appointment, Neves said that De had made a substantial positive impact on the airline’s revenue performance during his first nine months.

As Chief Revenue Officer, De oversaw revenue management, distribution and e-commerce, network planning, alliances and joint ventures, aeropolitical and industry affairs, and the Etihad Guest loyalty program. When he was promoted to Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer in December 2023, his remit expanded to cover the sales organization and the brand, marketing and sponsorship teams as well. 

Before Etihad, De held senior roles at WestJet, AirAsia and Aeroméxico. Most recently, he was Chief Revenue and Network Officer at TAP Air Portugal. He began his career more than 20 years ago in finance at the International Monetary Fund and holds a master’s degree in finance and policy from the University of Chicago.

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