Jetrader - Spring 2018 - 14

Q&A

C. Jeffrey Knittel
Chairman and CEO, Airbus Americas

ISTAT has selected Jeff Knittel, Airbus Americas' new chairman and CEO as the recipient of the 2018 ISTAT Award. The ISTAT Award, a
distinguished honor in the aviation industry, was created in 2001 to recognize individuals who have made lasting contributions to the
industry over a significant period of time. The award is bestowed annually at ISTAT America's President's Gala Dinner. Jetrader recently spoke
with Knittel about his 35-plus year history in the industry and how his career was shaped by his involvement in ISTAT through the years.

Jetrader: Congratulations on being honored with the ISTAT Award. When you
began your career, did you have any
long-term goals in the industry, or was
it something you thought you'd only be
involved in for a short time?
Jeff Knittel: I always hoped I'd be lucky
enough to have a career in aviation, and
I was. Of course, I didn't exactly know
where I'd end up, but I never really worried
about that. I just never thought about my
career that way. Along the way, I tried to
get better at whatever my job was at the
time - every single day.
Jetrader: It's the one-day-at-a-time
approach.
JK: And I'm probably not going to go
down as the expert on career planning, by
the way, but it worked out well for me.
I've been really blessed to do something
that I've loved my entire life. I've been
involved in different areas and different
industries, tangential to aviation, so it
has been fun. It's nice to get up every
day and enjoy what you do.
Jetrader: When you got your start at in
the industry, things looked vastly different than today.
JK: The industry was different. I did
my undergrad at Embry Riddle, then got
my first job through a co-op program
with Cessna Finance. The job itself was
a really a continuation of my education,
with the perk of getting paid to learn. I

learned about flying and I got to fly. And
then someone gave my name to a headhunter for a potential job in a very large
leasing company at the time in New York
called Manufacturers Hanover Leasing
Corporation. They were looking for someone to coordinate the aviation practice,
which was relatively small. I interviewed
for the job in New York. I really wasn't
sure I wanted the interview, much less the
job, but the headhunter suggested that it
would be good practice. I met with several
people, and the more I interviewed, the
more I realized the job opportunity was
terrific. One thing led to another, and I
ended up really going for it...trying to
sell myself. I got the job and worked for
Andy LaStella, who was one of the original
members of ISTAT. He took a chance on me,
and that really helped my career.
Jetrader: So what excites you about
where the industry is headed, 10 or
20 years down the road?
JK: This industry continues to move
faster and faster, and I really enjoy the
many different facets of the industry. I was
on the leasing and finance side for a major
part of my career, and now I'm on the manufacturing side. While there are differences,
there are many commonalities. As far as
where we are headed, the aviation business
has already shrunk the world - and there
are so many different areas in which to
create a career, both in terms of geography
and specific job descriptions.

14 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

Jetrader: How have you seen aircraft
value shift in your time in the industry?
We are clearly are taking into account
different key factors than when you
got your start.
JK: Back then, it wasn't as much about
fuel efficiency as it was putting a product
in the air. Nowadays, the sophistication
and the analysis that people go through in
terms of analyzing aircraft is way beyond
what it used to be. There's fuel burn, of
course. But noise considerations and performance and maintenance goals are very
important, as well. And the cabin today
is exceptionally important from an airline
marketing perspective. Everything is much
more sophisticated than it was 35 years
ago, and it continues to advance. That's

Jetrader - Spring 2018

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