Darwin Airline, the Swiss-based regional airline, today announced the appointment of Ms Shelley Cole to the role of Chief Financial Officer.

Shelley joins Darwin Airline from Air Seychelles where she was Chief Financial Officer, on secondment from Etihad Airways.

Chief Executive Officer of Darwin Airline, Maurizio Merlo, said: “We are delighted to welcome Shelley to the Darwin executive team. She brings to our growing business a depth of financial management experience that will help guide the next phase of its development and in particular, its new membership of the Etihad Airways equity alliance.”

Shelley said: “I’m delighted to be joining Darwin Airline at this time and look forward to making a significant contribution to the airline’s business strategy and a sustainably profitable future.”

Shelley is a chartered accountant with a Bachelor of Business from University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. She is also a member of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants. Before joining Etihad Airways in 2009, she worked in the finance teams of Caltex Australia, Shell International and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Her new appointment follows yesterday’s announcement that, subject to regulatory approvals, Darwin Airline would become the seventh and newest member of Etihad Airways equity alliance and the Abu Dhabi-based carrier’s fourth partner in Europe through an agreement to acquire a 33.3 per cent share of Darwin Airline.

Following completion of the minority investment, and subject to regulatory approvals, Darwin Airline will rebrand its operations as Etihad Regional and align its network to connect passengers from secondary European markets onto the main networks of Etihad Airways and its equity alliance partners.