Pierre-Hugues Schmit London Gatwick CEO
London Gatwick’s new CEO Pierre-Hugues Schmit has taken up his role at the UK’s second largest airport this week.
Schmit succeeds Stewart Wingate who becomes managing director of UK airports, a newly created role by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners overseeing the “strategic direction” of Gatwick, Edinburgh and Belfast International airports.
The change in CEO, which was announced in June, comes as Gatwick waits for a key decision on its £2.2 billion expansion plan by the UK government in the coming weeks.
The airport wants to convert its northern runway, which is currently used as a taxiway, into a fully operational runway. The government gave its provisional support to the plan in February but pushed the deadline for a final decision back to 27 October.
Schmit was previously VINCI’s chief commercial and operational officer for eight years covering 70 airports around the world.
“This is an exciting time to join, with more airlines than ever before using the airport and a final decision from the government on our northern runway planning application just weeks away,” said Schmit.
“Our teams work extremely hard every day to ensure we provide an efficient, enjoyable and accessible experience for passengers. I’m looking forward to working with everyone to keep improving the service we provide and realising the significant growth opportunities that lie ahead.”