Virgin’s appointment of Dave Emerson to replace Jayne Hrdlicka along with the final approval required for the Qatar Airways deal on Wednesday, are the final steps before the airline can be put to shareholders in a public float.

The Bain Capital-controlled airline said that after a global search, Emerson, 58, Virgin’s chief commercial officer and, like Hrdlicka, a former Bain & Co senior partner, was the best candidate for the top job.