Ken O'Toole appointed CEO of Stansted Airport
Andrew Cowan (above), Stansted’s current CEO who has led the airport since April 2016, will replace Ken as Chief Executive Officer at Manchester Airport. The changes will come into effect in September.
Ken O’Toole (above) will take up the role and lead the airport’s management team and over 1,600 MAG staff as it plays a critical role in providing runway capacity in the South East of England over the next 10-15 years.
In July, Stansted passed the 25 million passengers a year landmark for the first time in its history and with planning permission secured for a new £130 million arrivals building, Ken will oversee the airport’s continued planned investment and growth agendas.
The airport has recently consulted with the local community on its intention to submit a planning application in the coming months to seek approval to increase the number of flights and passengers permitted at Stansted to make full use of the existing single runway and airport infrastructure.
Ken will also focus on further expanding Stansted’s extensive route network following the recent announcement of new scheduled flights to New York and Boston with Primera Air from April 2018, the continued growth of Ryanair at its biggest base and the arrival this summer of Jet2.com at Stansted, the first time the airline has operated from an airport in the south-east of England."
Charlie Cornish, Chief Executive, MAG, said: “Both Ken and Andrew have demonstrated they are first class airport leaders during their career at MAG. I am pleased to have appointed them as the new CEOs of London Stansted and Manchester respectively.
”I know that they will successfully develop their airports further as they play an even bigger role providing the global connectivity and runway capacity that this country needs in the coming years. Both airports are about to embark on significant periods of development and investment, and Ken and Andrew are the right people to lead them during this critical time."
Ken O’Toole has led Manchester Airport since February 2013 and is an Executive Director of MAG, sitting on its Board. Prior to joining MAG, Ken spent six years with Ryanair, joining initially as Head of Revenue Management and latterly as Director of New Route Development. Ken is a qualified Chartered Accountant and his previous experience includes Musgrave Group, a leading Irish and UK based retailer, and Credit Suisse First Boston.
Last month Stansted Airport welcomed over 2.5 million passengers to the airport, up 10.5% over the same month in 2016.
On Sunday a hole appeared in Stansted's landing strip, with the runway closed between 17:30 and 18:10 BST. Eleven incoming flights were diverted to alternative airports such as Luton and East Midlands Airport. The airport has subsequently said the runway has reopened and "flight operations are back to normal".
London Stansted has recently confirmed its intention to apply to lift its current ‘passenger cap’ from 35 million passengers per year to 44 million, allowing airlines to plan their future growth at London’s third airport.
It is also about to commence the first stage of works to transform the current terminal building into a dedicated departures building, in advance of a new arrivals building being built next door.
Above: Stansted's planned new baggage reclaim hall.
The initial work will involve the creation of new check in space and seating areas in the terminal.
Karen Smart, Asset Management Director, London Stansted said: “The airport has never been busier, so to help us keep pace with increased demand and improve the passenger experience, we have started a significant investment programme to deliver a wide range of projects over the next five years to transform the airport and support sustainable growth on our single runway.
“The centrepiece of this investment plan is the new £130 million arrivals building which was granted planning permission in April this year and will help transform our facilities to give our passengers the best possible experience.
“In addition, we will shortly begin a number of projects totalling £50 million to provide additional check-in capacity and add more seating in the departure lounge as well as increasing the number of aircraft parking stands on the airfield. This work will help improve customer service and add vital capacity during the period in advance of the new arrivals building becoming operational and the subsequent full transformation of existing terminal.”
