McGee Air Services has named interim leader Ben Reed as its president, effective October 1, 2026. The appointment places an experienced Alaska Air Group operations executive in charge of ground services across six airports.
Reed will lead more than 3,200 McGee employees. His responsibilities will cover business strategy, growth initiatives, financial performance and the daily work that supports airline operations.
The appointment matters to travellers because ground teams handle essential parts of an airport journey. Their work helps aircraft, passengers and baggage move through busy facilities safely and reliably.
McGee is a subsidiary of Alaska Airlines and forms part of Alaska Air Group’s wider aviation business. Reed has served as interim president since March 2026.
A Leader With Deep Ground Operations Experience
Reed joined Alaska Airlines in 2009 and became one of McGee’s founding leaders when the ground services company began in 2016. He helped establish its operational framework and workplace culture.
At Alaska Airlines, his roles included internal audit, airport quality assurance, aviation security and regulatory compliance. He also served as director of station operations support.
Those positions gave Reed experience across both oversight and frontline airport operations. That combination will be relevant as he manages a workforce spread across six airports.
Within McGee, Reed served as managing director of safety and compliance from 2016 to 2017. He returned to that position from 2020 to 2025.
He also led operations at McGee’s Seattle station from 2017 to 2020. Reed took that station role again in November 2025, before becoming interim president in March 2026.
His appointment gives McGee a president familiar with the company from its earliest years. It also follows several months in which he has already led the organisation on an interim basis.
Safety and Reliability Remain Central
McGee’s ground services connect many activities that passengers rarely see together. Aircraft servicing, station coordination and ground teams all affect how smoothly an airline operates at an airport.
A delay in one part of that work can affect the next stage of a journey. Strong coordination therefore matters to flight reliability as well as the experience passengers have at the gate.
Reed’s background in safety and compliance will shape his leadership role. McGee has identified safety, service excellence, integrity, accountability, mutual respect and employee pride as priorities for its workforce.
Those commitments also depend on consistent execution across locations. As president, Reed will need to support local teams while setting direction for the whole company.
Jason Berry, Alaska Airlines’ chief operating officer and chair of McGee’s board, linked the appointment to Alaska Air Group’s wider strategy. He pointed to Reed’s operational experience, relationships across the group and commitment to McGee employees.
Berry also described McGee as an important part of delivering Alaska Accelerate, the group’s business strategy. For ground teams, that puts reliable day-to-day operations alongside broader company goals.
Why Ground Services Matter to Travellers
Passengers often judge an airline through visible moments: check-in, boarding, baggage delivery and the time a flight leaves. Ground operations contribute to each of those experiences.
The connection is especially clear when travellers have short connections or tightly planned itineraries. Reliable airport work can help reduce uncertainty as passengers move between flights.
Ground service quality also matters to destinations. Airlines need dependable airport operations to maintain schedules that visitors, hotels and tourism businesses can use with confidence.
McGee’s six-airport footprint gives Reed a defined operational responsibility. The company has not announced a new airport contract or route as part of his appointment.
Instead, the leadership change centres on managing existing services and guiding future business decisions. Any growth will depend on the company’s plans and operational needs.
McGee’s Next Leadership Chapter
Reed takes the permanent role after working across McGee’s safety and station operations for a decade. His earlier Alaska Airlines positions add experience in the systems that support airport service.
His immediate challenge will be to lead a large ground workforce while maintaining consistent standards at every location. He will also oversee financial performance and help shape McGee’s direction.
For Alaska Air Group, the appointment brings continuity to a subsidiary whose employees support the passenger journey behind the scenes. For travellers, the measure of that work remains straightforward: safe, reliable airport operations and a smoother trip.
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