Semelas assumed his current position in January 2025, having started his career in 2004 as an engineer at Airbus. In June 2025, the company estimated in a report that it would have to deliver around 43,400 new passenger and freighter aircraft to accommodate growing traffic over the next 20 years, with traffic from the Middle East and emerging Asia rising by approximately 5.3%. Semelas was previously the chief commercial and financial officer at Eurofighter, where he led its Eurofighter Typhoon defense collaboration program.