The managing director of the UK's busiest airport outside London has quit after weeks of chaos for travellers. Karen Smart has stepped down from her role at Manchester Airport where queues have trailed outside terminals to reach check-in, with hordes of people then left waiting to get through security and to pick up luggage.
Ms Smart said she will return to the south of England for family reasons and to "pursue fresh career opportunities", said her bosses. The airport, along with much of the aviation industry, has struggled to recruit staff made redundant after the pandemic shut down airports and travel.
This week, the resulting backlash from passengers led local MP Graham Stringer to challenge management to ‘get a grip or get out’, the Manchester Evening News reports. The problems have led to piles of suitcases being abandoned in terminals after travellers gave up the wait to reclaim their baggage and instead went home.
Ms Smart took on the managing director role at the start of the pandemic and has worked for Manchester Airports Group (MAG) for eight years. MAG, which also runs Stansted and East Midlands airports, is partly owned by the 10 local authorities of Greater Manchester, with the biggest stake held by Manchester City Council.
MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish said: "Over the last two years, Karen has guided Manchester Airport through the most challenging period of its 84-year history, having made a major contribution to MAG throughout her time with the business. I am sorry to lose Karen after her years of valuable service, but also understand her desire to return to the south for family reasons and indeed to explore new career opportunities.
"While there are sure to be further challenges ahead, I am confident we will soon start to see the benefits of the recovery plans Karen has helped put in place."
Ian Costigan moves from his post as group transformation director to become interim managing director. Earlier on Tuesday (April 5), John O’Neill, North West regional industrial officer for Unite, said union officials were meeting airport management to discuss pay.
He said after mass redundancies due to Covid, some workers have found alternative jobs with similar wages and may not be willing to return to work at the airport doing unsocial hours for similar rates of pay. The MAG airport website is currently offering jobs for drivers with a starting salary of £13,000 a year and security "ambassador" jobs targeted for students paying £10.53 per hour, including night shifts, 3am starts, weekends and bank holidays.
Last year’s annual report for Manchester Airport showed the top earning director was paid £2.5 million in 2021, a £500,000 increase on the previous year. Pay for directors as a whole increased from £5.9 million to £7.3 million in 2021.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "Bargain-basement wages and insecure jobs must be consigned to the past if the sector wants to get back on track. It is pretty simple – if you want to thrive, treat your workers with respect and don’t attack their jobs, pay and conditions."
In 2019 - before the pandemic hit - 29,397,357 passengers passed through Manchester Airport. Only London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted were busier.
