TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – China Airlines Chair Hsieh Su-chien (謝世謙) passed away of a heart attack at the age of 72 at a hospital in Taipei on Thursday morning.

The news caused some surprise as Hsieh had been seen Wednesday afternoon signing an agreement with a company union and addressing the meeting, the Liberty Times reported. He went to Taipei Veterans General Hospital for what he described as a serious cold.

Hsieh spent 46 years at Taiwan’s main carrier, from the accountancy department to heading offices in Indonesia, Australia, Kaohsiung and Taipei. He was promoted to company president in 2016 and to chair in 2019, per CNA.

Hsieh received credit for leading the airline through the difficult COVID-19 pandemic period and its most successful performance in the past 65 years of its history.

The Ministry of Transportation named China Airlines President Kao Shing-hwang (高星潢) as the new acting chair, CNA reported. The company also owned Mandarin Airlines and budget carrier Tigerair Taiwan.