London City Airport has announced the appointment of its first permanent female chief executive, as it looks to push forward with its expansion plans and create approximately 1,500 new jobs. The airport, located in the Docklands area, has informed its staff that Alison FitzGerald, who has been serving as co-CEO alongside finance chief Wilma Allan since January, has been selected for the role.
Ms. FitzGerald has been a part of the City Airport team for over a decade, previously holding positions as chief information officer and chief operating officer. She takes over the position from Robert Sinclair, who departed in January after six years to become the CEO of the High Speed 1 rail link.
The airport, owned by a consortium of Canadian pension funds and Kuwait’s sovereign wealth fund, has proposed a plan to increase its annual passenger traffic from approximately 6.5 million to 9 million. However, the plan is currently facing opposition from Newham Council, which rejected a planning application to extend operating hours at the site.
In response, the airport has appealed the decision and is currently awaiting a review by the Independent Planning Inspector. As part of its expansion plans, London City Airport has committed to no increase in the annual number of flights and has promised to only allow cleaner, quieter, and newer generation aircraft to fly during extended periods.
The appointment of Ms. FitzGerald as the permanent chief executive comes at a time when the airport is undergoing a change in leadership, making it the second of London’s airports to do so in quick succession. Last year, Heathrow welcomed Thomas Woldbye as its new CEO.
In a statement, Ms. FitzGerald expressed her excitement for the future of London City Airport, stating, “London City delivers one of the best passenger experiences in the UK and I am committed to building on this success even further.”
