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Avantair Appoints Robert DeGrie as Vice President of Maintenance
Posted July 7, 2011
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CLEARWATER, Fla., -- Avantair, Inc. (OTCBB:AAIR), the only publicly traded, stand-alone private aircraft operator and the leader of fractional aircraft ownership and flight hour time cards in the light jet cabin category, announced that Robert DeGrie has been hired as Vice President of Maintenance.
In his new role, DeGrie will be responsible for the Maintenance and Material Departments including Camarillo, Calif. (CMA), Clearwater/St. Petersburg, Fla. (PIE) and Dallas, Texas (DAL) locations for the FAR 135 and 145 certificates. DeGrie, who will report to Chief Operating Officer Kevin Beitzel, joins Avantair from Republic Airways, where he served as director, production control, maintenance planning and strategic planning. In addition to increasing aircraft utilization and performance while at Republic Airways, DeGrie managed dozens of employees performing functions affiliated with both line and heavy maintenance planning, production control and aircraft records for three different business units.
"Robert is a dynamic leader and team builder capable of facilitating change and moving others toward success," said Beitzel. "His strong history of meeting and exceeding project and company goals, as well as his attention to detail, make him an exciting addition, and we're thrilled to have him as part of the Avantair team."
DeGrie has more than two decades of experience in the airline industry, including tenures at Continental Airlines, Midway Airlines Corporation and Triad International Maintenance Corporation. While at Continental, DeGrie led the material planning surrounding the addition of the 777 to the fleet. He also created and monitored a five-year global inventory budget in excess of $870 million. At Midway Airlines, DeGrie authored maintenance planning policies, procedures and programs, including the maintenance program for the Airbus A320, which was quickly FAA approved, allowing the company to add the A320 to the operation specification three months ahead of schedule.
DeGrie recently obtained his Masters degree in Aviation Science from Everglades University, and he holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Administration from Middle Tennessee State University. He also minored in Management and participated in the Air Force ROTC Leadership Lab during his undergraduate studies.
About Avantair
Avantair, the sole North American provider of fractional shares, flight time cards and Axis Lease in the Piaggio Avanti aircraft, and the only publicly traded, stand-alone private aircraft operator, is headquartered in Clearwater, Fla., with approximately 450 employees. The Company offers private travel solutions for individuals and businesses traveling within its service area, which includes the continental United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico, at a fraction of the cost of whole aircraft ownership. The Company currently manages a fleet of 56 aircraft, with another 51 Piaggio Avanti aircraft on order through 2013. For more information about Avantair, please visit: www.avantair.com.
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