Jon Horne, the Managing director of Cardiff Airport, has announced that he is to leave the role next month. He steps down from the airport, owned by Spanish venture TBI-Abertis, in order to seek a fresh challenge.
Mr Horne took the role in 2001, when the airport was owned by TBI, before it was acquired by Spanish consortium Abertis in 2005. He will leave on October 31, six years to the day after he joined the airport.
During his time at the airport, the number of passengers has risen from about 1.5 million to 2 million. However, a more telling statistic is the share of the total UK market, which has remained static at a time when other regional airports are taking market share from the bigger London airports. Local rival Bristol has doubled its share during the period, for example.
Mr Horne said: 'I shall be very sad to leave Cardiff Airport, and especially the fantastic team I have worked with over the past 6 years. It has been a great challenge and I am proud of what we have achieved. The airport has come a long way in a short space of time and I believe it has a great future.'
'However, I have reached a point in my career where I am looking for new challenges and these lie outside the group and may well be outside the industry. I intend to spend some time reviewing my options before deciding on my next steps.'
Carlos del Río, chief executive of TBI-Abertis Airports, said: 'Jon is a hugely respected figure in the group and in the UK airports industry. We will be sorry to see him move on. He has made a highly valued contribution to Cardiff Airport and we wish him the very best in his future career.'
'The search for a successor is under way. However, since it is unlikely that a permanent appointee will have been engaged by the end of October, I have asked Bob Bullock, group business development director of TBI-Abertis Airports, to step in as interim managing director of the airport.'
'Bob has a great deal of experience in the industry, having been a commercial pilot, an air traffic controller and chief executive of four different airports in the US and Australia, including Orlando International Airport in Florida.'
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