──MichaelLazarus
"ForthetimebeingtheycalledthisproposednewairlineNewAir.Overthenexttwoyears,Neelemanandhisinnercirclewouldrefinetheirbusinessplan,findfinancing,buyairplanes,staffanorganization,andtakealltheotherprepatorymeasuresrequiredtostartanairline.Butithadtostartwiththemanagementteam.Neeleman'smissionwasstraightforward:'OurgoalwastobuildthebestcoachproductinAmericawiththelowestcost'."?
──JamesWynbrandt
OneofthefirstpeopleNeelemanapproachedwasDavidBarger,anairlineexecutivewithloadsofexperience.HewouldserveasNeeleman'sdetailsguy,whowouldhandleday-to-dayoperations.
"Bargerwasveryimportant.Hewasreallythebalance.DavidhadalltheideasandDaveBargeristheonewhoexecutestheideas,flawlessly.He'sthekindofguywhowearsthreebeepersandtwopagers.Hehasendlessenergyandistotallycommitted."?
──MichaelLazarus
AswellasDaveBarger,Neelemanalsoputtogetheraverygoodmanagementteam.JohnOwen,SouthwestAirline'streasureragreedtojointhenewairline.SotoodidAnnRhoadeswhohadpreviouslyservedasheadofSouthwest'sPeopleDepartment.WhenwordgotaroundtheindustrythatDavidNeelemanwasstartinganewairline,loadsofpeoplecametohimlookingforinterestingopportunities.Heneverdidhavetodoanyrecruitingforhismanagementteam.
Inaddition,Neelemanfoundotherpeopleindifferentways.Atonestage,RichardBransonconsideredinvestinginNewAir.HeheldanumberofmeetingswithNeelemanandLazarus,butintheendbothpartiescouldn'tagreetoterms.Inthecourseofthesemeetings,however,NeelemanmetGarethEdmonson-JonesandAmyCurtis-McIntyrewhohadbeenresponsibleforbuildingVirginAtlantic'sbrandname.TheywereattractedbythechallengeofbuildingNewAir'sbrandnamefromscratch,andleftVirgintojoinNeeleman.SotoodidVirgin'soperationsplanner,AlexWilcox.