Christine Ourmières-Widener facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christine Ourmières-Widener
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Ourmières-Widener in 2015
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| Born | September 21, 1964 |
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| Education | ISAE-ENSMA ESSEC |
| Occupation | Former CEO of French Bee |
| Known for | Commercial airline businesswoman |
Christine Jeanne Ourmières-Widener (born 21 September 1964) is a French businesswoman. She is well-known for her important work in the commercial aviation industry. This means she has held top jobs at many airlines. She was the chief executive officer (CEO) of French Bee. Before that, she was CEO at Flybe, CityJet, and TAP Portugal.
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Christine Ourmières-Widener's Career Journey
Christine Ourmières-Widener has had a long and interesting career in the airline world. She started working for big airlines and moved up to lead them.
Starting Out in Aviation
Ourmières-Widener began her career at Air France in 1988. She first worked with the maintenance team for the Concorde airplane. This was a very famous supersonic jet.
Later, she became the Managing Director for Air France in the UK and Ireland. This meant she was in charge of all Air France operations in those countries.
From 2010 to 2015, she was the Chief Executive of CityJet. This was an Irish airline that Air France had bought. She also spent some time as part of the European Regions Airline Association. This group helps airlines that fly shorter routes.
In 2016, Ourmières-Widener joined Flybe. Flybe was a British regional airline. She was the first woman to be elected to its board of directors. She became an interim director in April 2017.
Leading TAP Air Portugal
On June 24, 2021, Christine Ourmières-Widener was chosen to be the CEO of TAP Air Portugal. This is Portugal's main airline.
During her time as CEO, TAP Air Portugal went through big changes. The company worked to become stronger financially. It also saw more passengers as travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic ended.
However, there were some difficult situations during her leadership. In 2022, there were public concerns about how a former board member's departure was handled. This led to a lot of discussion in Portugal.
Because of these challenges, the government decided to remove her from her executive duties on March 6, 2023. She did not receive any severance pay. In September 2023, Ourmières-Widener filed a lawsuit to ask for compensation.
Her Role at French Bee
In 2023, Ourmières-Widener was appointed CEO of French Bee. This is a French airline that offers long-haul flights at lower prices. She also became the president of Air Caraïbes.
On January 21, 2025, the company that owns French Bee and Air Caraïbes announced that their work with Christine Ourmières-Widener had ended.
