It has been announced that Belfast City Airport chief executive Brian Ambrose will retire this summer, and, consequently, the airport is now seeking a new chief executive.
As reported by The Irish News, Ambrose has served as Belfast City Airport's chief executive for 16 years, and the last year of his tenure has been a challenging period for the airport due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the airport's former anchor airline, Flybe. However, the airport's leadership has secured replacements for most of the routes that it has lost in the past 12 months.
Proud Achievements
The Irish News quotes Ambrose as saying, "The achievements of these last few months are certainly some of the proudest of my career, and Belfast City Airport is now on stable ground with a core network of 17 routes to UK and European destinations served by five partner airlines.
"I wish to thank our dedicated workforce who have built a best in class product and service and ultimately an airport facility that people enjoy flying from."
"Dedication, Commitment And Passion"
Meanwhile, Belfast City Airport chairman Declan Collier said that the strategic guidance that Ambrose has provided as the airport's chief executive has been "exceptional", and stated, "He will leave having ensured the airport is well-placed and ready to meet an increasing demand for travel later this year and into the future.
"On behalf of all my colleagues at Belfast City Airport, we wish Brian a long and happy retirement and extend our thanks for his dedication, commitment and passion that he has brought to the role."
Passenger Numbers And Turnover Still Being Impacted
Despite securing replacements for most of its lost routes, Belfast City Airport's passenger numbers and turnover are still being impacted by the pandemic. The number of people that passed through the airport decreased by 79% in December.
Financial Bailout
It has been confirmed that Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport will share a new £2.2 million financial bailout.
© 2021 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
