CAROL Benzie is to stand down as managing director of Aberdeen International Airport at the end of the month, bringing to a close her 10-year spell with the business.
Ms Benzie has held the post since October 2013, having previously served as operations director and commercial director at the north-east airport. Her departure comes after a period which saw the airport grapple with declining passenger numbers sparked by the downturn in the North Sea oil and gas industry following the collapse in oil prices.
Aberdeen, along with Glasgow and Southampton airports, is part of AGS Airports, which took the decision several months ago to stop releasing monthly reports on passenger numbers.
A spokeswoman for Aberdeen said yesterday that passenger numbers at the Dyce airport have started to rebound as activity has picked up in the oil and gas sector as crude prices have recovered.
During her tenure, Ms Benzie has overseen the expansion of the airport’s route network and a multi-million redevelopment project, which added new security search and baggage reclaim areas, immigration facilities and retail units.
Ms Benzie has not said what her next move will be. AGS will now begin recruiting a new managing director, adding that in the meantime Aberdeen will be run by its management team, overseen by group chief executive Derek Provan. Mr Provan is a former managing director of Aberdeen airport.
Ms Benzie said: “After 10 hugely enjoyable and ultimately successful years with Aberdeen International Airport I have taken the decision step down from my role as managing director. I am now looking forward to embarking on the next stage of my career.”
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