The chief executive of Welsh Government-owned Cardiff Airport, Spencer Birns, has quit. The South African has left his £131,000 remunerated role to pursue other opportunities.
Mr Birns first joined the airport from Manchester Airport 18 years ago when it was owned by airports group TBI.
In 2010 he was promoted to oversee commercial and aero income before being elevated to the board as commercial director in 2013. He was appointed chief commercial officer in 2019 before being appointed CEO four years ago.
Under his watch the airport had to deal with the effective mothballing of commercial flights during pandemic, prior to which it had seen positive passenger growth.
Under a recovery plan the airport is looking to drive non-passenger related income through maintenance repair and overhaul activities, aviation training and freight.
The airport generates the bulk of its passenger related income from a share of revenues generated from tenants in its terminal. It doesn't have the leverage, like many smaller Ƶ airports, to make any significant income from charging airlines landing fees.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "We are aware that Spencer Birns has left his position at Cardiff Airport and welcome Andy Jones in his new capacity as interim CEO ahead of a busy period for Cardiff Airport and its employees."
A well-respected figure in both the airline and airport sectors, Mr Birns could command a much higher salary in an executive role elsewhere.
Cardiff Airport non-executive board member and former chief executive of the Port of Milford Haven, Andy Jones, has taken up the CEO role in an interim capacity.
In its last financial year the airport posted an Ebitda (earnings before interest, tax, deprecation and amortisation), of £5.8m. However, this was before the release of a Welsh Government grant of £10.1m as part of the airport's five year post-Covid recovery plan.
With grant, debt and equity support, and the £52m paid to acquire it from Spanish group Abertis in 2013, the Welsh Government has invested around £180m in the Rhoose-based airport
Last year it announced plans to invest a further £200m in the airport over a ten year period to further support its diversification plans, as well as driving airline routes and passenger numbers.
However, any grant support could see a legal challenge on Ƶ public sector subsidy rule grounds. Bristol Airport claims that the planned funding would provide an unfair commercial advantage to its nearest rival.
The airport's passenger numbers for the financial year to the end of March, 2024, were 862,000 compared to 910,000 in the previous financial year., but were up marginally for the 2024 calendar year. However, the airport is still well short of its post pandemic annual passenger number of 1.6 million.
Negotiations are still continuing with Qatar Airways over the airline reinstating its daily service from Cardiff Airport to Doha, which was pulled at the start of the pandemic. It is understood that recommencement is subject to a new funding support deal provided by the airport, which operates commercially at arm's length form the Welsh Government.
Ministerial responsibility for the airport sits with Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Rebecca Evans.
Andrew RT Davies MS, Senedd Member for South Wales Central and former leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said: " The chief executive leaving the pitch is a vote of no confidence in Welsh Government’s ownership of Cardiff Airport.
“Spencer Birns has always done his best at Cardiff Airport, where facilities are second to none, but the lack of direction from Welsh Government has led to a non-return of airlines and a brutal decline in passenger numbers.
“If we’re going to see this key economic asset gain real strength, we need to see a change of ownership, and better direction so talented people like Mr Birns aren’t walking away.”
