Gatwick managers told to re-apply for their jobs
15.03.10
The new owner of Gatwick has told 120 staff that they could lose their jobs as the airport looks to continue its shake-up of executives and replace management practices of the previous owner BAA, the Times reports. Members of the airports' planning and commercial departments have effectively been asked to reapply for their jobs as part of an extensive restructuring. It has entered a period of consultation with the employees over job losses and job changes.
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) bought Gatwick from BAA last December for £1.5 billion. It has a legal obligation to detail the maximum number of job losses, but Stewart Wingate, the airport’s new chief executive, said that the actual number of redundancies would be much lower and the restructuring was aimed at improving the running of the airport. He told the newspaper: ‘We announced this restructuring so people have an opportunity to tell us what could improve in their jobs and also to give us the opportunity to bring in new and fresh people. We want to make sure we have people that agree with us and want to move forward with us.’
In addition to Mr Wingate, who replaced Andy Flower, the airport's former managing director, a new chief operating officer and planning officer have also been appointed. The shake-up comes as part of a wider revamp of Gatwick after years of reported under-investment by BAA.
GIP has set out plans to overhaul Gatwick so that it can compete with BAA’s Heathrow and Stansted airports. It is spending £100 million to expand its North Terminal to increase capacity from 16 million to 20 million passengers. There are also plans to rejuvenate the South Terminal check-in areas by creating skylights, revamp the railway station and create a forecourt so that passengers arriving by train and car enter a calm central space rather than the present concrete confusion.
Mr Wingate said: ‘BAA had a long-term £1 billion investment programme here and do you know how much was directed to security? Zero. I hope by winter we will have created a single security area and are able to say to passengers that they get a good service. If passengers wait too long in check in and security they get irritated. That means when they get to the retail areas where we would like them to spend some money, they are less likely to do so. A smooth transition through check-in and security is important from an income and a service point of view.’
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