ALK 8-K
Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK)
8-K
2025-09-26
For: 2025-09-26
View Original
Added on
April 11, 2026
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT
TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
| (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | |||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||||||||
(206 ) 392-5040
(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Ticker Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR 230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR 240.12b-2).
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
This document is also available on our website at http://investor.alaskaair.com.
ITEM 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
(a) Departure of Certain Officers
On September 25, 2025, Constance von Muehlen, executive vice president and chief operating officer (“COO”) of Alaska Airlines, Inc., announced her intention to retire effective February 15, 2026. From November 3, 2025, to February 15, 2026, Ms. von Muehlen will serve as Advisor to the Alaska Airlines COO in order to support an orderly transition of operational responsibilities as Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines integration work proceeds.
(b) Appointment of Certain Officers and Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers
On September 25, 2025, the Alaska Airlines, Inc. Board of Directors elected Jason Berry executive vice president and COO effective November 3, 2025. The Board elected Ms. von Muehlen Advisor to the COO effective the same date. As COO, Mr. Berry will lead Alaska’s mainline operations and labor relations functions, as well as continuing to lead the company’s cargo division. He will step down from his role as president of Horizon Air Industries, Inc., the Company’s wholly-owned regional airline, to be succeeded by veteran Alaska Air Group leader Andrea Schneider. A copy of the press release announcing this election and related organization changes is attached as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference.
Mr. Berry, age 48, has served as Horizon Air’s president since 2023. In addition to leading Horizon, Mr. Berry was elected an executive vice president of the Company in 2024, when he assumed responsibility for Alaska Airlines’ cargo division. A 30-year industry veteran, Mr. Berry previously served as Horizon’s senior vice president, operations and president of McGee Air Services, another Alaska Air Group entity. He also held leadership roles at Air Canada and Cargolux Airlines.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Berry and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Berry was appointed to serve as executive vice president and COO. There are no family relationships between Mr. Berry and any director or executive officer of the Company, and he has no direct or indirect material interest in any “related party” transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Compensation Arrangement with Mr. Berry
On September 25, 2025, in connection with Mr. Berry’s election as executive vice president and COO, the Compensation and Leadership Development Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors set his base salary of $525,000 and maintained his target annual cash incentive opportunity at 85% of base salary.
The Committee also set Mr. Berry’s long-term incentive award target under the Company’s 2016 Performance Incentive Plan at $1,600,000 (he received an annual equity award with grant date value of $1,250,000 in February 2025). The Committee will determine the specific value of Mr. Berry’s equity grant as part of its annual officer compensation review in February 2026.
ITEM 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosure.
On September 26, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the retirement of Constance von Muehlen on February 15, 2026, after a transitional assignment as Advisor to the Alaska Airlines COO and the succession of Jason Berry as Alaska Airlines’ executive vice president and COO effective November 3, 2025. The press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
ITEM 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
| Press release dated September 26, 2025 | ||||||||
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ALASKA AIR GROUP, INC.
Registrant
Date: September 26, 2025
/s/ Kyle B. Levine
Kyle B. Levine
Senior Vice President, Legal, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
Sept. 26, 2025
Contact:
Media Relations
(206) 304-0008
Alaska Air Group Announces Leadership Transitions at Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air
•Jason Berry to be named Chief Operating Officer of Alaska Airlines, succeeding Constance von Muehlen who will retire after a ground-breaking career in aviation
•Alaska Air Group veteran, Andy Schneider, to be appointed CEO and President of Horizon Air
SEATTLE — Alaska Air Group today announced several leadership transitions that reflect the organization’s commitment to operational excellence and its people-first culture.
After nearly 15 years of dedicated service to Alaska Airlines, Chief Operating Officer, Constance von Muehlen will retire. Von Muehlen joined Alaska in 2011 and became COO in 2021, where she led the airline through a period of significant growth and transformation. Her leadership has been instrumental in advancing safety, reliability, and innovation across the airline’s operations.
Succeeding von Muehlen as Chief Operating Officer will be Jason Berry, a 30-year industry veteran who currently serves as President of Horizon Air and Executive Vice President of Cargo for Alaska Air Group. Berry brings deep operational expertise and a strong track record of leading teams with heart and precision. His experience spans cargo, ground services, and regional operations, including leadership roles at Air Canada, Cargolux and McGee Air Services. Berry’s role will be effective November 3, 2025, with von Muehlen staying on until February 2026 in an advisory capacity to support a seamless transition.
With Berry stepping into the COO role at Alaska Airlines, Andy Schneider will be named CEO and President of Horizon Air. Schneider currently serves as Senior Vice President of People at Alaska Airlines and has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s culture and talent strategy. Over her more than 35 years with Air Group, Schneider has held various operations roles including as Alaska’s vice president of inflight and call center services and senior vice president of people and customer services at Horizon. Her leadership will guide Horizon Air into its next chapter, continuing its legacy of exceptional regional service.
Over the last year, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines teams have worked together to build and execute the plan to become a single mainline operating carrier under a single operating certificate (SOC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is anticipated later this fall.
“These transitions mark an exciting moment for Alaska Air Group, and the milestone of a single operating certificate is a natural time to evolve our leadership team as we grow into a global premium airline,” said
Ben Minicucci, CEO of Alaska Air Group. “I am deeply grateful for Constance’s remarkable contributions during an exceptionally dynamic time for our company and industry, and I am thrilled to welcome Jason and Andy into their new roles. Their leadership will help us continue to deliver on our commitment to connect guests to the world through a remarkable experience rooted in safety, care and performance.
"It has been an absolute privilege to lead Alaska's frontline teams these past 5 years - out of the pandemic, into an integration and always putting safety and excellence at the forefront,” said von Muehlen. “Every day, I get to see how Alaska regularly leads the industry in care and performance, and it's because of the dedication of thousands of technicians, flight attendants, pilots, customer service agents, dispatchers and everyone in between. I know they will continue this excellence with Jason at the helm."
"This is an incredibly exciting time at Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines. As we move toward the next integration milestone, a single operating certificate, we're bringing together incredible frontline teams who will continue to lead the industry in safety, remarkable customer service and operational excellence,” Berry said. "I am so honored to be taking on this new role as we build on the great foundation Constance and her team have established and know that Horizon is in great hands with Andy as CEO and President."
"I am so humbled and honored to be returning to Horizon after more than 14 years,” said Schneider. “What makes Horizon special are the incredible people who work here and the important role they play as a lifeline for the communities we serve. I'm so excited for this next chapter as we build on the rich legacy the Horizon team has established."
For more information, visit news.alaskaair.com.
About Alaska Air Group
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group, and McGee Air Services is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines. We are a global airline with hubs in Seattle, Honolulu, Portland, Anchorage, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. We deliver remarkable care as we fly our guests to more than 140 destinations throughout North America, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific. We'll serve Europe beginning in spring 2026. Guests can book travel at alaskaair.com and hawaiianairlines.com. Alaska is a member of the oneworld alliance, with Hawaiian scheduled to join oneworld in spring 2026. With oneworld and our additional global partners, guests can earn and redeem points for travel to over 1,000 worldwide destinations with Atmos Rewards. Learn more about what’s happening at Alaska and Hawaiian at news.alaskaair.com. Alaska Air Group is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as “ALK.”