SEATTLE, Jan. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alaska Air Group 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.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air together serve 92 cities through an expansive network throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

CONTACT: Amanda Tobin Bielawski, +1-206-392-5134, or Caroline Boren,
+1-206-392-5799, both of Alaska Airlines

Web site: http://www.alaskaair.com/
http://www.alaskaair.com/newsroom