The Nordic Aviation Group, Estonia's national carrier, operating Xfly and Nordica airlines, has announced the appointing of Airi Kaunissaare as a new member to its management team. The former journalist and travel sector communications and marketing expert will be assuming the role of the Head of Marketing, Communications and Sustainability in the management of the airlines. By making this appointment, the company achieves a majority of women in its management team. This achievement marks a significant milestone in achieving gender parity and ushers in a fresh chapter in the aviation industry.
Jan Palmér, the CEO of the group, has expressed his confidence in Airi's abilities and extensive experience, emphasizing that her background in travel sector and in communication management talk in favor of the company's expansion in the European aviation market. Palmér stated that "Kaunissaare brings valuable expertise to our team, and her previous accomplishments in the travel sector are a great asset for implementing our vision, in a market situation of growing demand for air travel." He also highlighted that Kaunissaare was selected based on her qualifications through a public competition after considering numerous top candidates, both men and women.
Toomas Uibo, the former Head of Marketing, Communications and Sustainability of the group, was appointed an MP at the Estonian Parliament after which his successor was selected. Uibo expressed his delight saying Kaunissaare is “an extremely hard-working, adaptable and a creative person with a perennial smile on her face.”
Airi Kaunissaare has an impressive career history, including her role as the Marketing Director at Estravel Group - the largest travel agency in Estonia and the Baltics. In this position, she was responsible for overseeing both domestic and international marketing, as well as the fields of communications’ and sustainability. Additionally, Kaunissaare has authored a travel book “My Australia” and has been the driving force behind several successful creative projects. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Tartu University and has pursued another one in TV-production from Tallinn University.
Nordic Aviation Group AS, is a Capacity Provider Airline (CPA) group owned 100% by the Republic of Estonia. Headquartered in Tallinn, the group has its operational bases in Tallinn, Vilnius, Stockholm, Aarhus, Copenhagen, Turku, Lisbon, Larnaca, Munich and Hamburg. The group operates flights under two brands, two IOSA-certified AOC’s -XFLY operating nine ATR72-600 and nine CRJ900, and NORDICA operating four A320, with the capability to meet capacity requirements from 70 to 180 seats. The group is a caring employer to over 700 experienced employees of more than 30 nationalities across Europe. Xfly and Nordica operate within the framework of long-term ACMI partnership with SAS, TAP and MARABU and for the summer 2023 with Cyprus Airways. The company actively recruits new specialists through its career portal jobs.nagroup.ee and provides pilot training under its MPL training program.
With the addition of Airi Kaunissaare to the team, the company aims to sustain its successful expansion in the European aviation market.