Etihad commercial chief Arik De exits with immediate effect
Dhaka: 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.
De announced his departure in a social media post on October 8.
Etihad has not issued a public statement or named a successor yet, though his profile has been removed from its leadership page.
In his farewell message, De said, "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."
He described the carrier as "fundamentally different in every aspect" from the one he joined.
De credited his team for the achievement and thanked several leaders by name, including Aysha Al Kaabi, Jurriaan Stelder, Jennifer Murray, Mark Potter, Wei Jin, Adrià Rabassa Grabalosa, and Javier Alija. He also named Dani Ryan and Jyotsna Kaur Chowdhry, who joined more recently.
However, the post did not mention Etihad Group CEO Antonoaldo Neves, to whom De reported.
De has not disclosed his next role. His exit leaves one of the airline's most senior commercial posts vacant. As recently as last month, he was promoting Etihad's new premium lounge concept, which is scheduled to begin rolling out in 2027.
De joined Etihad in April 2022 as Vice President of Revenue and Commerce. In January 2023, he was named Chief Revenue Officer, a newly created role reporting to Neves.
In that position, he oversaw revenue management, distribution and e-commerce, network planning, alliances and joint ventures, aeropolitical and industry affairs, and the Etihad Guest loyalty program.
He became Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer in December 2023, with his remit expanded to include the sales organization and the brand, marketing, and sponsorship teams.
Before Etihad, De held senior roles at WestJet, AirAsia, and Aeroméxico. Most recently, he served as 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.
