New airport boss is ready for takeoff

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This article was published 01/02/2022 (1058 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Airports Authority has gone international in filling its CEO position, hiring Nick Hays of the United Kingdom, replacing the retiring Barry Rempel.

Hays worked for more than a decade with Cathay Pacific in several locations in Asia and New Zealand and as Cathay Pacific’s vice-president for Canada in Vancouver.

His most recent professional engagement was as Canadian vice-president for Vanderlande Industries, a global leader in logistic process automation at airports, also based in Vancouver.

Hays, 39, will become only the third CEO in the Winnipeg Airports Authority’s 25-year history.

When he takes over operations on Feb. 22 it will be at a crucial time in the airport’s history. Like most airports around the world, the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport is dealing with an 85 per cent decline in passenger traffic from pre-pandemic times. That also means an 85 per cent reduction in the vital airport improvement fee revenue.

WAA board chairwoman Brita Chell, said Hays’s familiarity with cargo operations owing to his experience with Vanderlande, was crucial.

“We were definitely looking for somebody who had experience on the passenger side but also very much on the cargo side because we feel that moving forward cargo is going to play a very, very important role for the airport and for Winnipeg,” said Chell.

Winnipeg now has the third-largest cargo airport in the country and boasts the largest number of daily dedicated air cargo takeoffs and landings.

Chell said Hays’s cargo experience was definitely important.

“Development of our cargo business is a key strategic initiative. Somebody who has that experience is obviously very valuable in terms of moving that strategic initiative forward.”

Chell said there were “many, many” candidates who applied for the position from North America and around the world.

Barry Prentice, a logistics and transportation expert at the University of Manitoba, said Hays’s experience in aviation and logistics is an important factor in the decision to hire him.

“I think it is a positive thing to have,” said Prentice. “Someone with industry experience knows about the stresses. They can speak the language of airlines better. One of the things he’ll have to do is court the airlines to bring their flights here. Having an aviation background means he is probably more sensitive to their needs and wants.”

Hays, in a news release, said he’s been privileged to turn his “lifelong passion for aviation into a career.

“I cannot think of a better way to fuel that passion than as president and CEO of WAA.”

It is obviously a difficult time for the aviation industry. The WAA cut its operating costs by 30 per cent and laid off a number of staff and was still forced to take on an additional $100 million in debt last year on top of close to $600 million it is still carrying from the construction of the terminal 10 years ago.

Chell said Hays’s ability to provide appropriate financial management was also a consideration for his hiring.

“Nick is very cognizant that there are financial challenges and it is definitely one of the areas that we had talked about with him and that he will also be focusing on, to get us back to that financial stability,” she said.

Hays noted those financial difficulties in his news release.

“There is no doubt our industry is facing unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19, but I am excited for the opportunities ahead and know WAA has the right vision and values to move the organization forward in support of our community, customers and stakeholders,” he said.

Prentice also believes Hays experience with Vanderlande and his knowledge of logistics automation will also be a plus for the airport.

“The fact he knows the operations side of the airport from the perspective of users and handling equipment is obviously a very good thing,” said Prentice. “He will likely bring some new ideas to the airport compared to hiring someone who does not have that background and who wouldn’t necessarily know about or be interested in it.”

Hays replaces Barry Rempel, who led dramatic growth at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport’s campus for 20 years including the surge in cargo traffic. He managed the development of the new terminal and solidified the airport’s role as one of the drivers of the city’s economy.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca