Jan Krems to retire, Chris Busch to lead United Cargo
Jan Krems retires as United Cargo President after 12 years at the helm and nearly four decades in air cargo. Chris Busch takes over in September.
Chris Busch and Jan Krems
United Cargo President Jan Krems will retire at the end of September 2026, after four decades in aviation and cargo. Chris Busch, currently Vice President – Cargo Americas, will succeed him as President.
Krems shared the news in a message to the industry over the weekend. “After four decades in aviation and cargo, I will be retiring from United Airlines at the end of September,” he wrote. He pointed to United Cargo’s commercial performance, global expansion, and innovation record under his watch, including the carrier’s pivot to cargo-only passenger flights during the pandemic. United operated more than 17,000 such flights, a move Krems credited with helping the airline weather that period. Under his leadership, he said, United Cargo built revenue performance twice that of its nearest US competitor.
Krems said he will spend the coming months introducing Busch to partners across the industry. As President, Busch will take charge of United Cargo's global organisation: sales and marketing, revenue management, customer service, operational performance, product development, and technology.
Busch joined United Cargo in August 2007 as project manager, cargo operations excellence. He went on to lead global pricing, revenue management, and sales strategy before being named Vice President of United Cargo’s Americas region, where he has overseen commercial operations, revenue management, and pricing. Over 19 years at United, Busch has driven commercial growth across the Americas while strengthening operational performance and customer partnerships. He holds an MBA in Finance and Operations from the University of Rochester's Simon Business School.
Krems leaves United Cargo after 12 years as its President, capping a career in air cargo spanning close to four decades. Before joining United, he spent 27 years at KLM Cargo, rising through leadership roles including Vice President Asia and Vice President Europe, Africa and the Middle East. As KLM’s Vice President Worldwide Customer Service during and after the Air France-KLM merger, he led the integration of Air France and KLM's cargo offices worldwide, aligning processes, IT systems, and people across the combined carrier.
He later served as Vice President Americas for Air France-KLM-Martinair Cargo, overseeing operations, customer service, and sales across North America, South America, Latin America, Canada, and the Caribbean, before taking the helm at United Cargo.
Krems holds a bachelor's degree in commercial economics from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and a post-graduate degree in marketing. He was inducted into TIACA's Hall of Fame in 2025 at the TIACA Executive Summit in Hong Kong. Outside of a career spent largely jet-setting, he lives in Spain, where he grows grapes and plays padel.
Jan Krems’ acceptance speech after being inducted into the TIACA Hall of Fame at the 2025 TIACA Executive Summit in Hong Kong.
