Bob Macleod will step down as Managing Director of Highlands and Islands Airports Limited today (Friday 27 May) after almost eight years in the post.

Inglis Lyon, who joined the airport operator as a director earlier this month, has now moved into the role of Managing Director.

Sandy Matheson, Chairman of HIAL, said: “I would like to mark the Board’s appreciation for Bob Macleod’s work over the last eight years. He has played a fundamental role in HIAL’s development, not least in building strong and effective partnerships with customers and stakeholders that have delivered benefits for the region. He has also been an excellent ambassador for the company and for the Highlands and Islands as a whole at a UK and international level.

“We are confident that our new Managing Director, Inglis Lyon, will bring drive and flair to the post and lead the company to further successes. We place great importance on his role in light of our ongoing business transformation which seeks to meet corporate objectives and the expectations of our shareholder, the Scottish Ministers,” said Mr Matheson.

HIAL recorded its best passenger growth ever of 9% for its 10 airports in the year ending March 2005, handling more than one million scheduled passengers for the first time since the company was formed in 1986.

Lewis-born Mr Macleod’s early career was spent with BP Shipping as a tanker master and marine superintendent. He then transferred to BP Exploration where he worked on a major offshore project and headed several departments, ending up as a divisional manager. He left BP to join the British Caledonian Group where he was a managing director of their helicopter company. He subsequently joined ODECO Drilling, then the world’s largest offshore drilling company, where he was a director of the UK-owned companies and vice president of European operations. Prior to joining HIAL in 1997 he was a director of Vanguard Floating Production which provided oil companies with innovative production solutions.

Bob Macleod, who celebrated his 65^th birthday earlier this year, said: “I would like to express my thanks to my fellow directors, the company’s staff and Ministers and officials at the Scottish Executive for making the past eight years both productive and enjoyable. It has been a pleasure to meet and work with a huge variety of individuals, businesses and organisations during my tenure and I hope that they will show the same high degree of professionalism and engagement towards my successor Inglis Lyon as they have done to me.

“The route development and service enhancements that we have achieved in recent years have supported development in the region. I am very pleased that we have moved forward significant projects in recent weeks, including the joint venture company for Inverness Airport Business Park and the new road linking Inverness airport with the A96.

“I shall miss working with what is a dynamic and innovative company but look forward to pursuing other business interests in the region in the months ahead,” said Mr Macleod.

HIAL’s new Managing Director Inglis Lyon, 40, was formerly managing director of Stagecoach East and has an extensive background in senior management within the transport industry.

Mr Lyon said: “This is an exciting time for both air services and the wider transport network in the region. I want HIAL to continue to develop and provide enhanced air services and passenger growth, both of which play a major economic and social role in the life of the Highlands and Islands.

“We will achieve this by being innovative in our commercial activities and efficient in our own operations. We will also continue to make strategic investment and develop dynamic partnerships that will deliver the best outcomes we can achieve for the region.”

ENDS