Air New Zealand CEO to depart

Air New Zealand's eminently successful CEO, Rob Fyfe, is to leave the airline by the end of this year.

The early explanation for the surprise announcement is that Fyfe wants to make room for some of the senior talent in the airline to show its stuff.

"... I'm very conscious that I am surrounded by many very talented and capable executives and if they are to grow and realise their full potential I have to create the space to allow them to do so," Fyfe told the local media.

But there is also speculation in Kiwiland that Fyfe might be heading for a top airline job in Europe - and possibly even the UK.

Fyfe took on the top job at Air New Zealand in 2005, following in the footsteps of another high flyer, Ralph Norris, who of course went on the head the Commonwealth Bank until very recently.

With hindsight it perhaps not all that surprising that Rob Fyfe would be moving on about now. He has done what needed to be done with the airline and it is  clearly time for a new phase of development.

That new phase would coincide with the NZ Government's intention to sell down at least some of its stake in the airline.

Perhaps, unlike some airline executives in the recent past, Fyfe is acutely aware that his time has been served.

While an international head hunt will get underway to find Fyfe's successor it is true that there's plenty of talent in house.