Interview with Manchester Airports Group boss
03.02.08
The Manchester Evening News has published an interview with Geoff Muirhead, the chief executive of Manchester Airports Group. We have published his thoughts on the environmental debate below. For the full article visit the newspaper's website.
Mr Muirhead is the boss of Britain's second largest airports group. MAG comprises Manchester, East Midlands, Humberside and Bournemouth Airports, which have a combined turnover of £365m. They handle a total of 28 million passengers a year travelling to around 300 destinations with 140 airlines, and support over 30,000 jobs.
He was appointed group CEO in 2001 following seven years as chief executive of Manchester Airport, where he progressed from director of development overseeing the construction of the £265m Terminal Two, a post he took up in 1988 after 23 years in engineering and construction.
In the interview he revealled that he is hungry for more growth and would look to buy other UK airports if the opportunity arises. He also talks about current challenges for airports, identifying the ongoing terror threat, security and environmental concerns.
He says: 'It is never dull in this industry - the focus is always changing - if it's not security or pollution, it's noise or our carbon footprint. The environmentalists have got the upper hand and it's wrong. I am in the business and know what it does, and the investments the airlines make to manage the impact, the investments we make in public transport, waste management, recycling and environmentally-friendly power generation.'
'Globally, aviation is responsible for fewer emissions than farming or shipping, but we are not getting our message across. Aircraft engines are 70 percent more efficient than they were 10 or 15 years ago and noise around airports is less than 20 years ago.'
'We damage the aviation industry at our peril in terms of our future prospects as a nation - the UK will not survive if it does not trade globally. And people deserve the opportunity to go and see the world. There are misconceptions and it's almost like you are a demon if you think about going in an aeroplane but these things can be reconciled.'
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