Norwalk, CT-based Southern Air Holdings Inc. has hired former DHL Express exec Daniel McHugh to replace retiring founder James Neff. McHugh will take the helm of Southern Air, which charters cargo aircraft to government agencies and corporations from its hub at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Alaska.

Neff founded Southern Air in 1999 and will remain on as a board member and stakeholder. “We have built a world class company by continuously providing exceptional cargo transport services to our clients at the lowest cost. We have done this while remaining committed to the highest safety standards.”

McHugh previously led DHL Express Asia Pacific, and before that was an investor with NYC-based Vietnam Partners LLC, which invests in the logistics sector.