Republic Airways has announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed Matthew J. Koscal as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 15, 2026. Koscal, who joined the airline in 2014 and has served as President and Chief Commercial Officer since before the company’s merger with Mesa Air Group in November 2025, will succeed David Grizzle.
Grizzle will step down as CEO on the same date and assume the role of non-executive Chair of the Board, in line with the company’s previously outlined succession strategy.
The appointment completes a transition plan disclosed in December 2025, when the Board indicated its intention for Koscal to take over the chief executive role during 2026.
Grizzle had been appointed CEO in July 2025 following the retirement of long-serving chief executive Bryan Bedford. Since then, he has worked closely with Koscal to guide Republic through its all-share merger with Mesa Air Group.
That transaction created one of the largest publicly traded regional airlines in the United States and established Republic as the operator of the world’s largest Embraer jet fleet, strengthening its position in the regional aviation market.
