Former Heathrow chief appointed CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company

Abu Dhabi: Former London Heathrow chief executive Tony Douglas has been appointed as CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), it said in a statement.

Douglas, formerly CEO at Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), will lead the transformation of Abu Dhabi’s international gateway through one of the most ambitious airport expansion schemes in the world.

The goal of the multi-billion dollar Mid Field Terminal ‘mega-project’ is to boost airport capacity to 40 million passengers a year — a critical element in Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a global commercial hub and thriving destination for international tourism.

Ali Majid Al Mansouri, chairman of ADAC, paid tribute to Douglas’s vast experience and long track record of achievements which includes delivering Heathrow Airport’s award-winning Terminal 5 on time and on budget, as well as leading the programme management team in the build-up to the widely acclaimed London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “Tony joins ADAC at a critical stage in the Company’s journey to deliver an iconic air hub for Abu Dhabi,” said Al Mansouri. “I am confident that his leadership will take ADAC beyond this vast infrastructure project and on towards meeting our ambitious goal of becoming the world’s leading airports group.”

Douglas said he was absolutely delighted to be joining ADAC as chief executive officer. “I feel honoured to be invited to join ADAC at this crucial stage in its journey to become a world leader,” he said. “This represents a challenge on a truly global scale with an opportunity to deliver one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects worldwide.”

In a stellar major project career, Douglas has built enormous experience in the aviation and wider infrastructure sectors.

At ADPC, which he joined in 2010, Douglas was responsible for the on-time, on-budget delivery of Khalifa Port and its associated industrial zone, Kizad. Earlier, he held a number of senior roles with airport operator BAA, including managing director of the £4.3 billion (Dh24 billion) Heathrow Terminal 5 project; group supply chain director; group technical director and CEO of Heathrow Airport at a time of unprecedented challenge.

He is also former chief operating officer of the international construction Group, Laing O’Rourke, where in his role as CEO-designate, he was responsible for the Group’s largest and most complex project delivery activities, including project management for London 2012 and a range of prestigious large-scale projects across Europe and the Middle East.