Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) has announced the appointment of its new Managing Director.

Mr Inglis Lyon will take up the post with the airport operator in May. This will allow a short handover period with the current Managing Director, Bob Macleod, before his scheduled retirement at the end of the month.

Mr Lyon’s appointment to HIAL’s Board of Directors has been approved by the Minister for Transport, Nicol Stephen MSP.

Aberdeen-born Mr Lyon, 40, is currently Managing Director of Stagecoach East. He was educated at Inverness High School and completed an apprenticeship with a local garage before gaining an honours degree in Transport Technology from the University of Ulster in Belfast.

Mr Lyon then joined Stagecoach where he has held a variety of management positions initially in depot management in Chorley, Bolton and Carlisle before moving into senior management. He has held the posts of Operations Director in Cumbria and Managing Director of Stagecoach divisions in: Kenya; Warwickshire and Oxfordshire; Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire (Stagecoach East).

Commenting on the appointment, Sandy Matheson, Chairman of HIAL said: “We carried out an extensive recruitment process to identify a suitable candidate for the post of Managing Director. We are delighted that Inglis Lyon has accepted the job and we have every confidence that he will bring the requisite leadership skills to the role to drive the successful development of the company in the years ahead.

“Bob Macleod has done an excellent job in leading the company over the past eight years, particularly in building better and stronger relationships with our partners and stakeholders and achieving significant enhancements to the region’s air services. We hope that Inglis will enjoy a similarly positive relationship with these groups while steering the company on to further successes that benefit the region, its people and businesses.”

Mr Lyon said: “I am very happy to be coming back to work in the Highlands for a company that plays a significant role in the region’s economy. I look forward very much to joining the business at this exciting time and building upon much of the good work carried out thus far by Bob and his team.”

ENDS