DALLAS — Merren McArthur, the founder, CEO, and President of Lynx Air (Y9), has announced her resignation from the airline and will be returning to her home in Australia later this year.

McArthur has been with Y9 since June of 2021, leading the company to a successful launch in April of 2022 and a thriving first year of operation. She plans to continue in her role until the end of September, allowing for the selection and appointment of a new CEO.

Bill Franke, Chairman of Y9's board of directors, expressed his gratitude for McArthur's leadership and contributions to the airline during her two years as CEO. He noted that McArthur played a significant role in the launch and growth of the airline during a challenging period for the aviation industry. McArthur has overseen Y9's strategy and rapid growth and helped develop the airline's strong brand in the Canadian market.

McArthur shared her appreciation for the opportunity to lead the carrier from its early planning phase to launch and beyond. Her vision for Y9 was to inspire more Canadians to fly by providing an affordable and enjoyable flying experience.

She expressed her gratitude for the talented team at the airline, who have been passionate and committed to transforming the Canadian aviation landscape forever.

Working Under McArthur

During an interview with Australian Aviation's Sky's The Limit podcast, McArthur, who was CEO of Tigerair Australia (TR) prior to joining Y9, shared her experience of how the management teams she worked with failed to comprehend how to work with a female CEO. She had to tailor her leadership style to encourage her teams to work together in a more collaborative manner.

As a result, during her tenure at TR, the number of female pilots increased to 8%, a significant improvement from the international average at that time. Additionally, McArthur's senior leadership team had a 40% female representation, a notable transformation from being almost entirely comprised of men.

Before joining TR, McArthur had been employed at Virgin Australia (VA), where she worked her way up to becoming CEO of Virgin Australia Regional Airlines and Virgin Australia Cargo, before being appointed as the CEO of Virgin's budget subsidiary.

Featured image: CEO Merren McArthur. Photo: Lynx Air