Alliance Aviation appoints aviation veteran Steven Greenway as new CEO
Alliance Aviation Services Limited (ASX: AQZ) has announced a Chief Executive Officer transition on 18 August 2026, with aviation industry veteran Steven Greenway appointed to lead the specialist airline services provider.
Managing Director and CEO Stewart Tully advised the Board of his intention to step down after more than 11 years with the company. Greenway will commence as CEO on 1 October 2026, with Tully remaining until 29 October 2026 to facilitate an orderly transition.
The handover comes as Alliance moves into its next phase of strategic execution, following the revised wet lease agreement with Qantas and organisational changes announced to the market on 5 August 2026.
The revised Qantas wet lease terms finalised on 5 August 2026 include a pricing increase effective 1 July 2026 and a new annual escalation mechanism, alongside a fleet commitment reduction from 30 to 23 aircraft over FY27, freeing capacity for redeployment across mining, energy and government sectors.
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The leadership handover explained
Stewart Tully’s tenure
Tully has decided the time is right to hand over to new leadership. Under his leadership, Alliance has, according to the company:
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Expanded and diversified its operations
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Strengthened its long-term customer relationships
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Invested in fleet and engineering capability
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Reinforced its position as Australia’s leading provider of specialised aviation services
Chair James Jackson acknowledged the outgoing CEO’s contribution.
James Jackson, Chair
“Stewart has made an outstanding contribution to Alliance over many years, having led the business through a challenging period and strengthened its strategy and operations. The Board thanks Stewart for his leadership and appreciates his willingness to stay on to facilitate an orderly leadership transition.”
Who is Steven Greenway?
Greenway brings more than 25 years of international aviation leadership experience, having held chief executive and senior executive roles across Australia, Asia, the Middle East and North America. Most recently, he served as Chief Executive Officer of flyadeal, the low-cost airline subsidiary of the Saudia Group, parent company of the Saudi Arabian national carrier.
His career timeline includes:
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2023 – Chief Executive Officer, Flyadeal
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2018 – Executive Vice President, WestJet and President of WestJet subsidiary Swoop
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2016 – Chief Executive Officer, reward-U
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2011 – Chief Commercial Officer, Scoot
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2008 – Partner, Mango Aviation Partners
Steven Greenway, Incoming CEO
“I am excited by the opportunity to lead Alliance and look forward to working with the Board, leadership team and wider Alliance team as we continue to strengthen the business and deliver outstanding service, safety and reliability for our customers.”
What the transition means for investors
The Board expressed confidence that Greenway is “the right person to lead Alliance through the next phase of its strategy as a FIFO-focused specialist aviation provider,” according to Jackson. Management framed the appointment as building on the company’s strong operational, commercial and cultural foundations while delivering sustainable returns for shareholders.
For readers less familiar with the business, Alliance is Australasia’s leading provider of ACMI, contract, and charter airline services, operating a fleet of over 70 operational aircraft.
The company provides essential services to the mining, energy and government sectors, alongside wet lease services for other airlines including Qantas and Virgin Australia. Alliance holds IATA’s IOSA certification and Flight Safety Foundation BARS Gold status, the first such carrier in Australia to achieve gold status.
The incoming CEO’s remuneration terms
The employment terms disclosed in the announcement link a substantial portion of Greenway’s potential remuneration to performance outcomes.
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Chief Executive Officer |
| Commencement Date | 1 October 2026 |
| Term | No fixed term |
| Total Fixed Annual Remuneration (TFAR) | $750,000 |
| Short Term Incentive Plan | Up to 50% of TFAR for target performance; up to 100% of TFAR for exceptional performance |
| Long Term Incentive Plan | 3,000,000 options under a Long-Term Incentive Plan |
What’s next for Alliance
Greenway commences as Chief Executive Officer on 1 October 2026, with Tully departing on 29 October 2026 after facilitating the handover. The overlap period is intended to support an orderly transition.
The Board has positioned the leadership change as a step towards the company’s next strategic phase as a FIFO-focused specialist aviation provider, building on its existing operational and commercial foundations.
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