Alma Air appoints Rupert Stebbings as CEO ahead of launch in early 2025

Medellin, 29 October 2024 : Alma Air the company that aims to lead the air transport industry in non-scheduled seaplane air services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Rupert Stebbings, until now Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will take up the position with immediate effect. Stebbings will also continue to lead the commercial strategy.

Operations will begin on the Caribbean coast in the first quarter of 2025 and Stebbings is eager for them to start even earlier:

‘It is an honour to be at the helm of what will be the historic return of seaplanes to Colombia. In my role as CCO I have spent the last six months travelling, sitting down and meeting with a wide range of officials and executives from the public and private sectors respectively, the enthusiasm for what Alma is creating is palpable. We have an excellent team already hard at work on the regulatory proposals, documentation and manuals for the certification process, and we hope to have the green light from the various authorities as soon as possible’.

The public hearing took place Aeronáutica Civil de Colombia on 12 September and Alma is awaiting the decision of the President of the Aeronautical Technical Committee to move on to the certification phase.

In parallel to awaiting the Aerocivil decision, Alma has been in permanent contact with other key public authorities, including the Ministerio de Transporte de Colombia and Dirección General Marítima - Dimar, to move forward in an articulated manner. This includes the proposal of Colombia's first seaplane regulation, as well as the initiative to engage in a process of education with all relevant stakeholders on the non-environmental impact of seaplanes.