Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has appointed David Laws as its new chief executive, succeeding John Parkin who is retiring after 10 years in the role.
Laws was previously chief executive of Newcastle Airport for a decade and has 39 years of experience in the airport sector. He began his career as a trainee fireman at Newcastle Airport and went on to become fire officer and then the airport’s safety advisor.
Laws held a number of roles in airport operations before becoming commercial director, responsible for the development of the airline and retail business.
“My passion is for airport development and ensuring that the customer journey is a truly great experience,” said Laws. “I am excited about joining Leeds Bradford Airport to further improve, expand and develop the business and look forward to working with the team at Leeds Bradford Airport and all those involved from the airlines, stakeholders and partners to develop the next phase of the airport’s growth.”
The airport operates to over 70 destinations in 25 countries and has grown passenger numbers by 6% over the last 12 months to 3.7 million passengers. LBA is a major contributor to the economic development of the region, and new investment is underway to improve and expand the operations. John Parkin will continue as a non-executive director.