Etihad Aviation Group President and CEO James Hogan, who brought about a revolution in commerical first class travel by rolling out the world’s first private suite on the A380 superjumbo for jet setters, is to leave the group.

Hogan, who took over as the Etihad Airways CEO in 2006, will step down in the second half of the year. He will join an investment company along with Etihad Aviation Group CFO James Rigney, who will also leave the company later this year.  

A global search for a new Group CEO and a new Group CFO is already under way, the UAE airline said.

Hogan spearheaded the launch of suites on Etihad’s jets including The Residence, billed as a flying penthouse, with a three-room private cabin that included a living room, double bedroom and en-suite shower. 

Limited to just one suite per plane, it is available on the airline’s A380 jets and comes with a Savoy Academy-trained butler on call. 

The service was launched in 2014, and a one-way flight from Abu Dhabi to New York currently costs around $19,000. 

Commenting on Hogan’s time at Etihad, Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, chairman of the board of the Etihad Aviation Group, said: “We are very grateful to James. In just 10 years, he has overseen the growth of the company from a 22 plane regional carrier into a 120 aircraft global airline and aviation group, with seven airline equity partnerships which together serve more than 120 million guests every year. It is a business which has set new benchmarks for service and innovation. We look forward to James’ continued association with Abu Dhabi in new ways.”