CINCINNATI, May 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Comair today announced that Don Bornhorst is the regional airline's new president, effective immediately. Bornhorst, a 15-year industry and Comair-veteran, replaces Fred Buttrell, who joined the airline in January 2005 and led a resurgence in the carrier's operation and performance rankings.
Buttrell came to Comair after serving as president and chief executive officer of Delta Connection, Inc. He announced his resignation from Comair this week, saying he had weighed the needs of the company with those of his personal and family life and felt it was time to transition to new leadership. Bornhorst, who most recently served as Comair's chief financial officer, has held leadership positions in every operating department at the airline, and has also worked as vice president of Performance Management at Delta Connection. Bornhorst said his focus is the continued advancement of Comair's operational initiatives and the airline's successful emergence from Chapter 11 reorganization.
"Comair has elevated the quality of our operations and product to the highest levels in our history and we are winning on the operational excellence front," Bornhorst said. "More work lies ahead in our restructuring efforts, but the essence of our vision over the past 18-months is essentially unchanged. Operational integrity and exceptional customer service remain the pillars of how we run our airline. Comair is extremely grateful to Fred and the personal sacrifices he made on the airline's behalf. His leadership had a profound impact on the airline's operation and its culture."
Prior to Bornhorst's appointment to CFO in 2005, he was Comair's senior vice president of Customers. A Certified Public Accountant, he joined Comair in 1991 as manager of Internal Audit and Special Projects. Bornhorst is native of Erlanger, Ky., and grew up near Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the home of Comair's headquarters and the airline's primary hub.
"Don is an excellent choice to succeed Fred as Comair's president. He has the background, focus and determination needed to complete the carrier's restructuring, which is a vital step for Comair to be a viable enterprise going forward," said Joe Kolshak, Delta's executive vice president of operations. "Fred has done a tremendous job leading the Comair team to restore the carrier's operational performance to outstanding levels. At the same time, we understand his desire to be closer to his family and we wish him well. It's now up to Don and the rest of the Comair team to complete the very challenging tasks they still have before them."
Based at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Comair is a wholly owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines and a Delta Connection carrier. The airline employs 6,400 dedicated aviation professionals and operates 850 flights a day to 108 international and domestic destinations.