Alaska Air Group has announced
the election of Gary Beck to the position of vice president of flight
operations for Alaska Airlines effective Jan. 7, replacing Kevin Finan, who
retired from the airline last month.Beck is a 34-year veteran of the airline industry with over 15,000
flight hours. He comes to Alaska from Delta Air Lines, where he served as
senior vice president of flight operations and chief pilot responsible for
2,000 daily departures and 8,500 pilots at six pilot bases. He was also
president and CEO of the Delta Connection Academy in Orlando, Fla., one of
the largest pilot training facilities in the world.

  A captain on the Boeing 727, 757 and 767 aircraft, Beck also served as
director of flight operations, general manager of flight operations,
general manager of domestic operations and chief pilot of its Los Angeles
pilot base during his 20-year tenure with Delta Air Lines.

  “Gary brings an extensive background in safety and operations to the
role. His leadership and organizational skills combined with his in-depth
experience in the industry make him extremely qualified for this position,”
said Gregg Saretsky, Alaska’s executive vice president of flight and
marketing. “He’ll be a key player as we move the airline forward to become
a more efficient operation.”

  Prior to its merger with Delta, Beck worked for Western Airlines as
executive assistant to the director of flight operations, assistant chief
pilot, assistant fleet captain and flight engineer. He also flew as a first
officer for Ozark Airlines, a pioneering regional carrier based in the
Midwest.

  Beck holds an executive management certificate from UCLA’s Anderson
School of Management and studied aerospace engineering at Central Texas
College and business administration at Northern Illinois University.

  Raised in an airline family, Beck’s father, Don Beck, served as
president of Continental Airlines-Air Micronesia division, as well as
executive vice president of customer service for Western Airlines.
——-