Virgin marks inaugural wet lease flight by Qatar Airways with soft launch of CEO Dave Emerson

Virgin Australia celebrated the return to long haul international flying with partner Qatar Airways, but kept new CEO Dave Emerson from saying too much.

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton and Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson with cabin crew from Qatar Airways and Virgin. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

If there is ever a good time for a new CEO to step out of the shadows and into the limelight, it’s a major company milestone.

On Thursday, Virgin Australia CEO Dave Emerson peeked out from behind the curtains at Sydney Airport, where the airline’s “return to long haul international flying” was being celebrated, almost three months to the day he took the reins from Jayne Hrdlicka.

The first flight to Doha, operated by Virgin’s partner Qatar Airways in a wet lease arrangement, was significant on a number of levels – given the Gulf carrier’s long fight to increase its capacity into Australia and Virgin’s own struggles which saw the airline get rid of its widebody fleet after being bought from administration by US private equity firm Bain Capital.

It also promised to give invited media their first opportunity to get to know Emerson better before disappearing into the privacy of a Qatar QSuite.

Unfortunately for journalists hoping to get a little more insight into the man Bain Capital chose to lead Virgin, Emerson’s remarks were limited to a scripted speech and some carefully stage-managed photos.

On-the-record questions were not allowed, making what should have been a momentous occasion less of a splash and more of a sprinkle.

For a company about to return to the public arena as an ASX-listed company, it seems like a rather odd strategy to keep the CEO out of the spotlight.

Virgin Australia CEO, Dave Emerson at the launch of new Sydney-Doha flights by partner Qatar Airways. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty Images

By all accounts from those who have met Emerson, he is a personable fellow, astute and with deep experience of the challenging aviation industry.

He made quick work of securing institutional investors for the airline’s imminent IPO and it’s reasonable to think those exhaustive round of meetings kept him from undertaking any sort of intensive media training.

Understandably, the public relations team at Virgin Australia wants to make sure he is sufficiently well-trained, before giving journalists free rein to pepper Emerson with questions.

And there are plenty to ask – given the impending IPO after a five year hiatus from the ASX, and given circumstances of his appointment after the withdrawal of reported favourite Paul Jones from the race to replace the high-profile Hrdlicka.

Jones was left with virtually no choice after the Transport Workers Union and Employment Minister Murray Watts made known their opposition to his likely appointment, due to his role in the unlawful outsourcing of 1800 ground handling workers at his previous employer, Qantas.

Unfortunately, the controversy has somewhat overshadowed Emerson’s promotion, which is undoubtedly well deserved, but avoiding the question does not seem like the right strategy in these circumstances.

Virgin Australia is a prominent brand, a “much loved” airline according to its own spin, carrying millions of passengers a year on domestic and short haul international flights.

It does appear Emerson will take on a higher profile in the weeks and months to come – there’s the relisting of Virgin Australia on the ASX on June 24, and he headlines the program at the upcoming CAPA Centre for Aviation conference in Cairns in late July.

With a share price to worry about, international flights to promote, a new look board and an expanding domestic fleet, we look forward to hearing much more from Emerson as Virgin Australia CEO.

Originally published as Virgin marks inaugural wet lease flight by Qatar Airways with soft launch of CEO Dave Emerson