Birmingham Airport announces new chief executive

Nick Barton will take up post on January 7. He was previously chief executive of London Luton Airport from 2014 until this month.

Mr Barton joins the airport at an exciting time in its history following the recent announcement of its ambitious draft master plan covering the next 15 years.

He will be implementing, with the team, a £500 million programme to upgrade and expand the capacity of its terminal operations, aircraft stands and support facilities.

This will support further growth from its current 13 million passengers a year to an expected 18m over the life of the plan.

Mr Barton has a long track record as a successful leader with extensive experience in the airports sector.

In addition to his four years at Luton, he was part of the senior management team at London Stansted for eight years, latterly as managing director, as well as holding previous executive roles at BAA.

In his career he has 27 years’ experience of managing and leading infrastructure and property operations.

“I am thrilled to be joining Birmingham Airport to deliver the board’s vision and strategy for this critical piece of national and regionally significant transport infrastructure.

"Birmingham Airport is on the threshold of a very exciting chapter in its development and I am delighted to have been given the responsibility to lead and shape the future of the airport," he said.

Tim Clarke, the chairman of Birmingham Airport, said: “We have carried out an extensive search of the aviation sector for a new chief executive.

"The board is delighted to have secured such a proven and experienced individual to execute our ambitious vision for the development of the airport.

"His record in generating strong growth brings the quality of leadership needed to fully realise the potential of this vital asset for the West Midlands economy and the region as a whole.

“I would also like to thank Simon Richards, chief financial officer, who has acted as managing director over the last year, and the executive team, for the excellent progress that has been made in developing the draft master plan for the airport’s expansion and for achieving strong improvements in customer service and operational effectiveness.”

Birmingham is the UK’s third largest airport outside London, and the UK’s seventh largest overall. It serves more than 150 direct scheduled and charter routes and offers an additional 340 possible connections worldwide.

Over the last 10 years, Birmingham Airport has invested more than £300m to develop its infrastructure. It is one of the West Midlands’ largest employers, providing jobs for 30,900 people across the region.