Pan Am Executive Is New Eastern President
Robert L. Gould, a pilot who had been an executive of Pan American World Airways, was named president and chief operating officer of Eastern Airlines. At Pan Am he was senior vice president of operations.
“The arrival of Bob Gould at Eastern Airlines represents a significant step in our reorganization efforts and demonstrates that Eastern is now turning its attention to long-term operational issues rather than short-term survival issues,” said Martin R. Shugrue Jr., Eastern’s bankruptcy trustee.
The statement by Shugrue appeared to be intended as another signal to Eastern’s creditors that the airline was a viable operation that can survive its bankruptcy. Eastern’s creditors have been pushing a bankruptcy judge to liquidate the airline, which declared bankruptcy nearly two years ago. The court recently allowed the Miami-based airline to draw $135 million from its escrow account to give it sufficient funds to see it through the first quarter.
At Pan Am, Gould, 52, had senior responsibility for the airline’s maintenance and engineering operations, logistics, inventory management, flight operations, purchasing, system control and environmental affairs.
It is also seen as significant that Eastern is bringing aboard a good maintenance executive since the carrier is under indictment for maintenance violations in the New York area a few years ago. Also, federal agents recently raided the carrier’s Miami headquarters seeking other maintenance records.
Separately, Peter T. McHugh, a 25-year veteran in the airline business, was elected chief operating officer of Pan Am, He was formerly executive vice president of marketing and will remain executive vice president-office of the chairman. In his new position he will be responsible for all passenger and cargo marketing, sales, reservations, airline planning and scheduling, field services, in-flight and dining services, flight operations, aircraft maintenance and engi neering and properties and facilities.
McHugh, 43, joined Pan Am in 1988 after working for Trans World Airlines for 20 years. He had started at TWA as a part-time reservations.
