Apr. 26 -- Two top executives at Kitty Hawk Inc. have stepped down amid a leadership shake-up at the overnight air-cargo company, which is based at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
Robert Zoller, 60, will retire as president and chief executive Monday. Chairman Gerald Gitner has also resigned, as have three other board members.
Officials said board members Mel Keating and Joe Ruffolo will take over the company's leadership until a new chief executive is appointed. The rest of the management team will remain at Kitty Hawk.
Zoller is a longtime aviation executive who helped resurrect ValuJet after a crash nearly forced the company, now known as AirTran, to liquidate. He is also a former American Airlines executive who helped create the American Eagle regional subsidiary.
He joined Kitty Hawk in 2002, and Keating praised him for his "visionary leadership."
The airline operates its cargo hub in Fort Wayne, Ind., and also has a U.S. customs clearance and sorting facility there.
Kitty Hawk, which emerged from bankruptcy in 2002, lost $14.4 million last year but had a strong fourth quarter with an $8.6 million profit. It has not reported results for the first quarter of 2007.
Shares of the airline (ticker: KHK) closed at 52 cents, up 2 cents, in trading Wednesday.
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Trebor Banstetter, 817-390-7064
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