Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (AAWW) today announced that Robert (Bob) Agnew, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, passed away earlier this week.

“Bob was a wonderful director and even finer human being,” said William J. Flynn, Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide. “We are saddened by the news of his passing. His extensive knowledge of the aviation industry and depth of corporate expertise made him a tremendous asset to the Board and to our Company. He was a great leader, a passionate advocate for Atlas, and a good friend to us all. On behalf of Atlas Air Worldwide, we extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Bob’s family.”

A member of the Atlas Air Worldwide Board since July 2004, Mr. Agnew also served on the Board’s Nominating and Governance Committee, and previously was the Chair of our Audit Committee. He became Chairman of the Board in 2017.

Mr. Agnew was a widely respected leader in the aviation industry, with over 30 years of experience in aviation and marketing consulting and has been a leading provider of aircraft valuations to banks, airlines, and financial institutions worldwide. Most recently, Mr. Agnew was President and Chief Executive Officer of Morten Beyer & Agnew, an international aviation consulting firm experienced in the financial modeling and technical due diligence of airlines and aircraft funding. He began his commercial aviation career at Northwest Airlines (NWA), and previously served in the U.S. Air Force as an officer and instructor navigator with the Strategic Air Command.

Mr. Flynn has been elected Chairman of the Board, effective immediately. It was previously announced that Mr. Flynn would assume the chairman role on January 1, 2020. In addition, Board Member General (Ret.) Duncan J. McNabb, USAF, has been named interim Lead Independent Director.