Gareth Powell becomes the new MD of Stansted after joining MAG from Transport for London (TfL). While current Stansted boss Steve Griffiths moves across to head up East Midlands airport.

MAG’s chief executive Charlie Cornish said: “I am delighted to be welcoming Gareth to the business. His considerable operational, commercial and strategic experience will make him a great addition to our executive team and help us realise our ambitions for Stansted.

“I would also like to thank Steve for his achievements during his time at Stansted. He will take this experience and acumen to East Midlands, as we look to maximise the role it plays in supporting UK global trade.”

Powell has spent 19 years at TfL with his most recent role being deputy commissioner and chief customer and strategy officer.

“The whole team at Stansted has done a superb job seeing it through the challenges of the pandemic and coming out the other side as one of the top-performing airports in the UK,” said Powell.

“I can’t wait to get stuck into continuing that solid recovery, growing the airport sustainably, and providing the best possible service to our passengers and airlines.” 

Griffiths takes on an expanded managing director role at East Midlands and will also lead MAG’s operational transformation work across all three of its airports.

“Alongside my leadership of East Midlands airport, delivering our Operational Transformation Programme will be fundamental to MAG’s growth across the group,” explained Griffiths.

“I want to capitalise on the unique opportunity we have as a national airport operator to lead the way with how to run airports that customers want to use and airlines want to fly from.”