JetBlue said that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airline’s president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier.

Geraghty, 51, joined JetBlue in 2005 and has taken on an increasingly prominent role at the New York-based airline in recent years, including becoming president and chief operating officer in 2018.

Geraghty said she was honored to get the new job, and said she was looking forward “as we execute on our strategic initiatives, return to profitable growth, and generate sustainable value” for shareholders.

Hayes, 57, said he will retire for health reasons.

“The extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being,” Hayes said in a statement.

The change at the top will occur on Feb. 12. It comes as JetBlue waits for a federal judge in Boston to decide whether it can purchase Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion in a bid to grow quickly into a challenger to the biggest U.S. airlines.

Biden tweaks worker classification standards

The Biden administration enacted a new labor rule Tuesday that aims to prevent the misclassification of workers as “independent contractors,” a step that could bolster both legal protections and compensation for millions in the U.S. workforce.

Major app-based platforms including Uber, Lyft and DoorDash expressed confidence that the new rule would not force them to reclassify their gig drivers.

But business groups warned the rule creates ambiguities and much depends on how the Labor Department enforces it. The rule replaces Trump-era standard that narrowed the criteria for classifying employees as contractors.