Gatwick’s new owners to send in team of ‘fixers’
30.11.09
Gatwick Airport’s new owners Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) are preparing to send in a team of ‘fixers’ to help to overhaul the operations of an airport, the Times reports. Michael McGhee, GIP’s partner in London, told the newspaper: ‘It will be at least 18 months before passengers will notice a real difference. However, there are some simple changes we hope to make during 2010 which should start to improve matters.’
Most infrastructure funds have little to do with managing their assets once they have been bought other than by the numbers, but GIP’s policy is to improve operations in order to increase the investment return. It has 12 former GE senior managers who are sent into newly bought GIP assets to improve working practices. The Times says that 5 of the 12 are due at Gatwick this week.
Mr McGhee said: ‘Many infrastructure assets are, or were, government-owned and they tend to keep the structures they inherited, so there are big efficiency gains possible if you can introduce best industrial practice. We have got these former GE black-belt people that are able to do that.’Early changes will include a lounge for Gatwick’s growing business traffic, expansion of security areas and a remodelled check-in hall. At present, each airline has fixed check-in desks, which are unused when that airline has no flights leaving. GIP says that if airlines shared facilities, they could cope better at busy times and the check-in hall would be less chaotic.
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