Occidental Petroleum shuttle lands in Midland as CEO transition nears

Occidental Petroleum flew from Cavern City Air Terminal in Carlsbad, New Mexico to Midland International Air and Space Port on May 19, a 39-minute hop in the company's Embraer ERJ-175. The shuttle serves the Permian Basin, Occidental's core operating region.

The same week, Occidental is deep in a leadership transition: Vicki Hollub will retire as CEO on June 1, handing the reins to COO Richard Jackson, per a company announcement on May 1 [globenewswire.com](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/05/01/3285910/0/en/Occidental-Announces-CEO-Succession.html). The flight comes just after Occidental reported Q1 2026 results on May 5, noting production of 1,426 Mboed topped guidance, driven by Permian contributions [oxy.com](https://www.oxy.com/siteassets/documents/investors/quarterly-earnings/oxy1q26earningspressrelease.pdf).

Recent flights show the shuttle regularly plying the Houston-Midland route, but the Carlsbad leg suggests a visit to remote fields or facilities. As Jackson prepares to lead, the emphasis on 'organic improvement and operational execution'—his words from the transition release—makes Pit stops like this routine, but no less critical for the new boss's groundwork.