Heathrow airport appoints Thomas Woldbye as new boss

Currently chief executive at Copenhagen airport, he will replace John Holland-Kaye later this year

Incoming chief executive of London Heathrow, Thomas Woldbye. Reuters

After an extensive search, Heathrow airport has found a replacement for outgoing chief executive John Holland-Kaye.

Thomas Woldbye, currently the boss of Copenhagen airport, will replace Mr Holland-Kaye when he steps down from the role later this year.

Heathrow said that Mr Woldbye's experience means "he is ideally placed to oversee the airport’s future strategy following an £11 billion [$13.9 billion] private investment programme by Heathrow’s shareholders".

Mr Woldbye has been chief executive of Copenhagen's airport since 2011, before which he spent 27 years at Moller-Maersk, the global shipping and ferry company.

"Leading Britain’s hub airport is one of the most important jobs in global aviation and the vacancy attracted the best calibre talent from across the world," said Heathrow's chairman, Paul Deighton.

"Thomas’s achievements at Copenhagen not only mirror Heathrow’s long-term strategy, but his track record in successfully running a major airport and working closely with stakeholders to secure consensus and deliver positive results stood out in the selection process."

For his part, Mr Woldbye said it was humbling to be asked to head up what is "arguably the famous airport in the world".

“I have personally experienced how the excellent team at Heathrow has successfully improved both the infrastructure and the service to passengers over the past years to create a strong platform for further success," he said.

"Heathrow is an important engine for the British economy and inextricably linked to the success of London and the wider UK.

"I look forward to being part of charting the path for this iconic company. My ambition will be to make the airport even better for passengers, for airlines, the community and every part of the UK.”

Mr Holland-Kaye, who has spent the past 10 years as the boss of Heathrow, was confident that the Heathrow team would be the cornerstone of Mr Woldbye's success.

“An airport is more than just runways and terminal buildings – it’s the people who come to work every day to deliver excellent service to our passengers," he said.

"It's been the privilege of my lifetime to lead our fantastic team. I’ve worked with Thomas over recent years and am a great admirer of his leadership on diversity and sustainability and his championing of the needs of passengers."