Article from BTNews 25 JULY 2016
Regional airports name new chair
Neil Pakey, until recently CEO of Shannon Group and formerly CEO of Liverpool Airport, is to succeed John Spooner as chair of the Regional and Business Airports (RABA) group.
Spooner is handing over after steering the group from its formation three years ago to a current membership of 33 regional and business airports.
The body meets regularly with government and the CAA and is recognised as having brought an important new smaller-airport perspective to the aviation policy arena.
It has also been responsible for making substantive representations to the Airports Commission, the UK government, the Transport Select Committee and the European Commission, and provides a distinctive voice for members at industry events.
Officials say the driver for the group is “the strong perception that the UK government, and on occasion the European Commission, misunderstand or fail to recognise the role of smaller airports, tending to adopt ‘one-size-fits-all’ policies”.
Pakey said: “I intend to build on our initial efforts and with the support of our 33 airport members raise the understanding and appreciation of the economic and social roles they play in their catchments and in the wider UK aviation.”
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