Private aviation company Meridian has announced the appointment of Emil Iannone as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Meridian Air Charter.
Iannone previously served as Director of Operations of the Teterboro, New Jersey-based company, and will now be responsible for managing its charter business, including sales, aircraft management and marketing, to allow president of Meridian Air Charter Dennis O’Connell more time to focus on other areas of the business.
“I am very excited for this opportunity,” says Iannone. “I’m honored to be working side-by-side with Dennis to help ensure our charter operations meet the needs of a rapidly changing marketplace and continuing to grow our charter and aircraft management operations. I look forward to contributing to Meridian’s ongoing success.”
A pilot himself, Iannone began as an instructor pilot at Meridian, moving up to Chief Pilot and then eventually director of operations of its charter business in 1994.
Iannone spent some years out of aviation when he moved to a New York City investment banking firm in 2000, although the desire to return to the sector brought him back to Meridian in 2013.
“We are very pleased to have Emil managing the day-to-day operations of Meridian Air Charter,” said Ken Forester, CEO. “He has the operational experience and people skills to help navigate the challenges of the ever-changing charter landscape.
Having operations, sales and marketing under his leadership will help us to compete more effectively in today’s marketplace. Emil’s new position will also allow Dennis greater bandwidth to focus on the other key areas of the operation. Together, they will be a powerful team in moving the business forward.”