Aviation executive Ray Gammell, from Wicklow, has joined Saudi Arabian start-up Riyadh Air, which recently recruited fellow Irishman Peter Bellew, it has emerged.
Backed by Saudi’s state Public Investment Fund, Riyadh Air aims to lure tourists to the Middle Eastern kingdom in a bid to replace what are likely to be flagging oil revenues by the end of the decade.
Riyadh has recruited Ray Gammell, the one-time Irish army officer who worked in several senior roles with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, as chief corporate development and enablement officer.
The news means he will once again be working with Tony Douglas, Riyadh’s recently announced chief executive, who has left the same post at Etihad, Mr Gammell’s previous employer.
Mr Gammell is joining Peter Bellew, formerly of Ryanair and Malaysia Airlines, who is now Riyadh’s chief operating officer,
From Greystones, Mr Gammell served as strategic adviser to Mr Douglas at Etihad from 2018. He himself was interim chief executive of the Abu Dhabi airport-based carrier from May 2017, succeeding James Hogan.
Days after announcing its plans in March, Riyadh said that it had ordered 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from the US manufacturer, with the option to buy a further 33
Before that, he was Etihad’s group chief people officer, a role he took up in 2009. Mr Gammell began his career as an officer in the Irish Defence Forces, after which he worked for Ulster Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland.
Riyadh confirmed in March that it had hired Mr Bellew, who was Ryanair’s director of flight operations before joining Malaysia Airlines as chief executive, returning to his old employer in 2017 as chief operations officer.
He left Ryanair in late 2019 to join its main rival, EasyJet, also as chief operating officer, prompting the Irish airline to go to court in an unsuccessful bid to prevent him from taking up that role for 12 months.
100 destinations
Riyadh Air is due to begin flying in two years’ time. The airline ultimately wants to serve 100 destinations, channelling millions of tourists to Saudi Arabia, adding $20 billion in non-oil revenue to its wealth to create 200,000 jobs.
Days after announcing its plans in March, Riyadh said that it had ordered 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from the US manufacturer, with the option to buy a further 33.
Riyadh Air will join Saudi Arabian flag carrier Saudia, as a second state-owned airline.
DAA International, part of the State company that runs Cork and Dublin airports, manages operations, business development and other areas at Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Airport.
