John Wiitala has been named Vice President of maintenance and engineering at Alaska Airlines. Wiitala will be in charge of operations safety and compliance for 237 mainline Boeing aircraft at several maintenance facilities as Alaska Airlines’ new vice president.
Wiitala brings 34 years of experience from United Airlines, where he most recently served as vice president and chief engineer. At United, he managed the airline’s expanding fleet, growing it from under 450 aircraft to 944.
Wiitala also played a key role in United’s merger with Continental, smoothly integrating multi-fleet operations and enhancing efficiency. As vice president, Wiitala will lead maintenance operations, including airframes, components, engines, store quality assurance, and engineering, for Alaska Airlines.
Alaska Airlines’ new vice president will also focus on maintenance planning and ensuring reliability across all fleet projects. The executive vice president, Constance von Muehlen, welcomed his expertise and emphasized his leadership as Alaska prepares for global airline operations. “John will lead our team to uphold the highest standards of safety, quality, and compliance for Alaska’s fleet while combining operations with Hawaiian Airlines,” Muehlen explained.
Wiitala, who graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in mechanical engineering, started his aviation career in 1988 at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami. To encourage young pilots and technicians, he has also served on the board of Argonaut/Davis High School in Cleveland and contributed to children’s programs.
With decades of experience in technical operations for narrow and widebody aircraft, Wiitala’s appointment highlights Alaska Airlines’ commitment to global expansion and operational excellence. His leadership will ensure safety and quality remain at Alaska Airlines’ fleet management.
This news article was originally published by PR Newswire.
