Ben Minicucci

Ben Minicucci
Born	Benito Minicucci 27 4, 1966
Birthplace	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nationality	American, Canadian
Occupation	President and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Air Group
Known for	Leading Alaska Air Group through its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and transformation into a global carrier
Education	Royal Military College of Canada (B.Eng., M.Eng.)
Awards	Puget Sound Business Journal "2025 Executive of the Year"
Website	[[{{{1}}} {{{1}}}] Official site]

Benito "Ben" Minicucci (born April 27, 1966) is a Canadian-born American business executive who serves as the president and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Horizon Air. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Minicucci was educated at the Royal Military College of Canada before building a career in the airline industry that would span more than two decades at Alaska Airlines. Rising through the company's operations ranks, he became known for his hands-on management style and operational expertise, eventually succeeding longtime CEO Brad Tilden in March 2021. Under his leadership, Alaska Air Group completed its acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, expanded its route network to include international destinations in Europe and Asia, and began a transformation from a primarily regional West Coast carrier into a growing global airline. In October 2025, the Puget Sound Business Journal recognized these achievements by naming Minicucci its "2025 Executive of the Year."

Early Life

Ben Minicucci was born Benito Minicucci on April 27, 1966, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He grew up in the Montreal area and pursued a path in engineering and military service through Canada's armed forces education system. Minicucci enrolled at the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), located in Kingston, Ontario, one of Canada's premier military and academic institutions. He earned both a Bachelor of Engineering and a Master of Engineering from RMC, receiving a rigorous education that combined academic study with military discipline and leadership training.

His engineering background and military training would prove formative in shaping his approach to management in the airline industry, where operational precision, safety, and logistics are central to daily business. The discipline and structured problem-solving skills cultivated at RMC informed the operational focus that would become a hallmark of his career at Alaska Airlines.

Education

Minicucci completed his undergraduate and graduate education at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree followed by a Master of Engineering degree from the institution. The Royal Military College of Canada is a federal military university that provides academic programs alongside officer training for the Canadian Armed Forces. Minicucci's dual engineering degrees provided him with a strong technical and analytical foundation that he later applied to airline operations, logistics, and corporate management.

Career

Early Career at Alaska Airlines

Minicucci joined Alaska Airlines and built his career primarily within the airline's operations division. Over the course of more than two decades with the company, he rose through a series of positions of increasing responsibility, developing deep expertise in airline operations, maintenance, and corporate strategy. His operational background distinguished him among airline executives and positioned him as a leader who understood the complexities of running day-to-day flight operations.

Acquisition of Virgin America

A significant milestone in Minicucci's career at Alaska Airlines came with the company's acquisition of Virgin America in 2016. The deal, valued at approximately $4 billion including assumed debt, represented one of the largest transactions in Alaska Air Group's history and a major strategic shift for the company. The acquisition gave Alaska Airlines a substantially larger presence in California and other key markets along the West Coast, adding routes, aircraft, and airport gates that expanded the airline's competitive position.

Minicucci played a central role in the integration of Virgin America into Alaska Airlines' operations, a complex process that required merging fleets, workforces, reservation systems, and corporate cultures. The integration was considered one of the more challenging airline mergers in recent U.S. aviation history due to the distinct brand identities and operational models of the two carriers. The Virgin America brand was ultimately retired in 2019 as the integration was completed and all operations were consolidated under the Alaska Airlines name.

President of Alaska Airlines

Minicucci served as president of Alaska Airlines, reporting to Alaska Air Group CEO Brad Tilden. In this role, he oversaw the airline's daily operations, including flight operations, maintenance, airport operations, and customer service. His tenure as president coincided with a period of growth for Alaska Airlines as the carrier expanded its route network and worked to integrate the assets and personnel acquired from Virgin America.

In 2019, AFAR magazine named Minicucci to its Vanguard list, recognizing leaders in the travel industry who were shaping the future of travel experiences.

CEO Appointment and the COVID-19 Pandemic

In late 2020, Alaska Air Group announced that Brad Tilden would step down as CEO and that Minicucci would succeed him, effective March 31, 2021. Tilden had served as CEO since 2012 and oversaw the Virgin America acquisition, among other strategic initiatives. He transitioned to the role of board chairman, while Minicucci assumed full leadership of the parent company and its subsidiaries.

The leadership transition occurred during one of the most challenging periods in the history of commercial aviation. The COVID-19 pandemic had devastated the airline industry beginning in early 2020, with passenger traffic plummeting to historic lows and carriers across the globe facing existential financial pressures. Alaska Airlines, like its competitors, was forced to reduce capacity, furlough employees, and seek federal financial assistance through the CARES Act and subsequent government relief programs.

In an interview with the Puget Sound Business Journal in July 2020, Minicucci discussed the impact of COVID-19 on Alaska Airlines' operations and the airline's strategy for navigating the crisis. He also participated in a Washington Post Live event in June 2021, shortly after becoming CEO, where he discussed the future of flight and sustainability in aviation alongside Neste US President Jeremy Baines.

Acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines

Under Minicucci's leadership, Alaska Air Group pursued and completed one of the most consequential airline mergers in recent U.S. aviation history: the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines. The deal significantly expanded Alaska Air Group's geographic reach, adding Hawaiian Airlines' extensive network of routes across the Pacific Ocean, including service to Hawaii, Asia, and the South Pacific. The acquisition transformed Alaska Air Group from a primarily domestic, West Coast-focused carrier into an airline group with substantial trans-Pacific and international operations.

The Puget Sound Business Journal noted that Minicucci had led the airline "through crises and acquisitions, transforming it from a regional carrier" into a growing global airline. The integration of Hawaiian Airlines brought wide-body aircraft into the Alaska Air Group fleet for the first time, enabling the company to serve long-haul international routes that were previously beyond its operational capability.

International Expansion

Following the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition, Minicucci oversaw a period of significant international route expansion for Alaska Airlines. In August 2025, the airline announced new nonstop flights from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to London Heathrow and Reykjavik, Iceland, marking a major entry into transatlantic service. The airline described the London route as connecting travelers to "the largest intercontinental market from Seattle."

In May 2025, in an interview with The Seattle Times, Minicucci confirmed that Alaska Airlines planned to begin nonstop service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to Europe in 2026, signaling the airline's long-term commitment to building an international network from its Seattle hub. The Seattle Times later reported that Seattle travelers would benefit from Alaska Air's expansion year, with new nonstop routes bringing destinations in Europe and Asia closer to the airline's primary hub.

The international expansion represented a strategic shift for Alaska Airlines, which had historically focused on domestic routes within the western United States, including service to Alaska and Hawaii. The combination of the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition and new transatlantic routes positioned Alaska Air Group to compete with larger U.S. carriers on a broader set of international markets.

Air Traffic Control Advocacy

Minicucci has also been a public advocate for modernization of the U.S. air traffic control system. In September 2025, he authored an opinion piece in Fortune magazine arguing for innovation in air traffic management, writing about the need to update the systems that manage American airspace. In May 2025, he issued a statement on the Department of Transportation's air traffic control action plan, signaling Alaska Air Group's engagement with federal policy on aviation infrastructure.

Board Memberships

In addition to his role at Alaska Air Group, Minicucci has served on several boards and industry organizations. He has served on the board of Airlines for America, the principal trade organization representing major U.S. airlines, as well as the Washington Roundtable, a public policy organization comprising senior executives from major Washington State employers. He has also served on the advisory board of the University of Washington Foster School of Business.

Personal Life

Minicucci was born in Montreal, Quebec, and is of Italian-Canadian heritage, as suggested by his given name Benito and surname Minicucci. He relocated to the United States over the course of his career in the airline industry and is based in the Seattle metropolitan area, where Alaska Air Group is headquartered. In a feature for The Seattle Times, Minicucci discussed his personal interests in travel and experiences he looked forward to pursuing during the summer months, reflecting the travel-oriented culture of the company he leads.

Minicucci holds both Canadian and American citizenship.

Recognition

In October 2025, the Puget Sound Business Journal named Minicucci its "2025 Executive of the Year," citing his leadership through the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, the airline's expanding route network, and the strategic repositioning of Alaska Air Group for global competition. Alaska Airlines highlighted the award, noting that Minicucci had been recognized for "bold acquisitions, expansion and setting new growth paths" for the airline group.

In a December 2025 profile, the Puget Sound Business Journal detailed Minicucci's leadership trajectory, noting that he had guided Alaska Air Group through the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 2024 Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 door plug blowout incident, and the Hawaiian Airlines acquisition, each presenting distinct operational and reputational challenges. The profile described the company's transformation under his leadership from a regional carrier to a competitor on the global stage.

Earlier in his career, Minicucci received recognition from AFAR magazine, which named him to its 2019 Vanguard list of travel industry leaders.

Minicucci has also been recognized for his engagement with public policy issues affecting the aviation industry, including his published commentary in Fortune on the need for air traffic control modernization and his public statements on federal aviation infrastructure policy.

Legacy

Ben Minicucci's tenure as CEO of Alaska Air Group has been defined by a strategic expansion that fundamentally altered the company's competitive position in the U.S. and global airline industry. When he assumed the role in 2021, Alaska Airlines was a well-regarded but primarily regional carrier, focused on the West Coast of the United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Through the acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines and the launch of new international routes to Europe and beyond, Minicucci oversaw a transformation that expanded the airline's geographic footprint, fleet capability, and market ambitions.

The Hawaiian Airlines acquisition, in particular, represented a landmark moment for Alaska Air Group, adding trans-Pacific routes, wide-body aircraft, and a second major airline brand to the company's portfolio. Combined with the earlier integration of Virgin America, which Minicucci was closely involved with, these acquisitions positioned Alaska Air Group as one of the larger airline groups in the United States by route network and passenger capacity.

Minicucci's leadership through multiple crises — including the COVID-19 pandemic and the operational and safety challenges of 2024 — further defined his tenure. His background in operations and engineering provided a foundation for managing the complex logistics and safety demands of running a major airline group during periods of significant disruption and change.

His advocacy for modernizing the U.S. air traffic control system has also positioned him as a voice for infrastructure reform within the aviation industry, extending his influence beyond the boundaries of Alaska Air Group's own operations.