Airline veteran Gabriela Hiitola moves up to head Finnair Cargo

Gabriela Hiitola will become senior vice-president of Finnair Cargo on 1 February, after a 24-year career at the carrier.

She will replace Fredrik Wildtgrube, who will take on the role of SVP alliances and airline partnerships.

Ms Hiitola’s previous role was VP operations control and she will continue as a member of the operations leadership team, reporting to COO Jaakko Schildt.

After beginning her career at Finnair in cargo, she said she was looking forward to returning to it.

“I see great potential in the development of the industry and look forward to exploring new opportunities with our team, partners and customers,” she said.

Mr Schildt said: “I am very pleased to see Gabriela take over the leadership of Finnair Cargo. With her background, I am confident she will successfully lead the company in its next phase as the cargo industry continues to embrace the opportunities of digital development and new technologies.

“At the same time, I would like to express my warm thanks to Fredrik for his significant contributions to Finnair Cargo over the past seven years, and wish him all the best in his new role.”