Thomas Woldbye will oversee the airport’s multi-billion pound plans to upgrade facilities over the next three years, including a new security programme and baggage system for Terminal 2. 

The airport said Woldbye, who succeeds John Holland-Kaye in the role of chief executive, was "a champion of passenger service, sustainability and growth".

It added that Woldbye’s arrival "opens a new chapter in Heathrow’s story after a decade of transformation". 

“The UK already has a hub airport that is the envy of much of the world,” he said. “As I spend my first days getting to know the colleagues and Team Heathrow partners who make it a success, I’m looking for how we can make Heathrow even better for our customers and the British economy. 

“It’s humbling to have the opportunity to take on the challenge and I’m excited to get started.”

The airport paid tribute to its previous chief executive, saying: “John set a strong example in his unyielding dedication to his colleagues. 

“[He] left behind a legacy of having transformed Heathrow into a premier global hub, developed the plan for Heathrow expansion that secured overwhelming parliamentary approval, navigated the business through extremely challenging times during Covid-19 and enabled Heathrow to recover faster from the pandemic than all of its major EU competitors.” 

It added that under Holland-Kaye, the airport “took a lead pushing global aviation towards net zero by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement”.