Board of Directors

Fred Abbott is an esteemed veteran of the aviation industry with a distinguished career spanning over four decades. Fred brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his role as a board member having served in senior officer roles at 2 fortune 100 companies (United Airlines and Continental Airlines) with predecessor continuity that dates to 1982 (People Express/Continental/United). In addition to his officer roles at large public companies, Fred has taken active advisory and board roles in successful startup ventures as well as middle market companies. Most recently, Fred served as a Manager of the General Partner for Buffington Home Building Group Ltd., a $150mm per year homebuilding and real estate development firm, where his strategic insight and management acumen played a pivotal role in guiding the company to a highly profitable position after the death of the Company’s namesake founder, uniting a fractured shareholder group and actively participating in the successful sale of the Company to LGI Homes at a significant MOIC for the stakeholders. Prior to his tenure at Buffington Home Building, Fred served as an officer of United Airlines, where he served as Senior Vice President of Flight Operations. In this capacity, Fred oversaw a pilot workforce of over 10,000 professionals and had the overall responsibility of merging two vastly different pilot cultures and complex flight operations to successfully form the largest airline in the world. Fred was responsible for all critical areas of airline flight operations including, domestic and international ops procedure, pilot training and standardization, flight safety, fleet provisioning, as well as all labor contract negotiations and union relations, which utilized his leadership ability and ability to manage complex operations and contributed to the overall success of the airline. Fred's aviation journey began after graduating with a BS in Journalism from the University of Kansas in 1970. He embarked on a career as a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force, serving as a pilot for fourteen years on active duty and in the Air Force Reserves and achieving a rank of Captain. Fred's passion for aviation led him to join Trans World Airways in 1975, where he initially served as a pilot instructor. He continued to excel and transitioned into airline management, assuming the role of manager in pilot training at Air Berlin. Fred's expertise and dedication became evident when he played a crucial part in the start-up of People Express Airlines, serving as a managing officer during the airline's inception. He continued to make significant contributions when People Express merged with Continental Airlines, where he served as Chief Pilot and later as Vice President of Flight Operations for 18 years until the company’s merger with United Airlines. Throughout his career, Fred Abbott maintained a unique distinction by actively flying as a line qualified pilot, underscoring his commitment to hands-on experience, and staying connected to the core operations of the industry. This comprehensive perspective has shaped his strategic decision-making and leadership abilities. Fred resides in Magnolia, Texas on his beloved horse farm and is an active patron of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, LA and the Blue Angels Foundation in Pensacola, FL.