From my take on the matter, the board selected a candidate based on what they saw as important at the time: taming the unions and returning shareholder value through cutting costs and expanding revenue. AJ has to work with the board and is part of the board, so while AJ may be the CEO, he has not operated independently of the board's agreement. What many on Pprune have noticed for years now is that the priorities have become a little scrambled. Shareholder value has been placed above customer and employee value, and in doing so, customer and employee value have headed south, rapidly followed by shareholder value. The board keep trying to tweak with the shareholder value, not comprehending that it is tied inextricably to the lead of the other two. They're trying to keep the fuselage airborne while the wings are disintegrating. The entire board deserves the blame. That's what they're paid for. They'll work it out in a few years time when they no longer have to concern themselves with the day to day running of an airline.