Page 13 - ARUBA TODAY

A13
Wednesday 10 april 2019

Joost Meijs appointed as CEO of Queen Beatrix International Airport Aruba

ORANJESTAD - Joost Meijs, CEO
of Eindhoven Airport, will start on
1 September 2019 for the Royal
Schiphol Group as the CEO of the
Queen Beatrix International Airport
in Aruba; succeeding James Fazio,
who has served as the airport’s
CEO since 2014. Mr. Meijs will be
responsible for the development
of management and the organiza-
tion, maintaining contacts with ex-
ternal stakeholders, and will over-
see the airport’s redevelopment,
as it starts a significant 5-year cap-
ital investment and construction
program with a value of 300 million
USD. The Supervisory Board of Eind-
hoven Airport will be considering
its succession plan in the coming
period.

On his departure, Meijs will have
worked at Eindhoven Airport for 13
years. He started on 1 March 2006
as Director of Commercial Services
& PR. After a brief period as Dep-
uty Director, he became General
Manager / CEO of the airport on
October 1, 2008.
During his career at Eindhoven Air-
port, the airport has evolved from
more than 1 million passengers
in 2006 to, forecasted, more than cess of Eindhoven Airport. I was Royal Schiphol Group for the past struction phase of the Gateway
6.5 million passengers in 2019. The very happy to lead this airport 15 years and its current CEO, Mr. 2030 project, which required the
second airport in the Netherlands where public and private parties James Fazio, recently announced difficult decision as to whether or
offers direct connections to more come together. Bringing together his personal decision to leave the not to stay another 5 years, and
than 80 destinations within and apparently opposing interests as position as CEO of AAA effective based on personal reasons, I have
outside Europe. closely as possible, has greatly in- at the end of his current employ- chosen to resume my career back
spired me from start to finish. At the ment agreement; which is August in New York. Royal Schiphol Group
In terms of infrastructure, the air- same time, I look forward to con- 31st, 2019. has now identified my successor in
port had considerably expanded. tribute to new successes of the in- the person of Mr. Joost Meijs.
In 2013, a hotel (owned by Eind- ternational airport of Aruba and I Mr. Fazio has worked for Royal This has been a carefully planned
hoven Airport) and an extension of am really impressed by all that has Schiphol Group for the past 22 transition, which will allow for a 4 to
the land and air terminal were de- been achieved so far by James years, having started in 1997 as 5 month hand-over, and properly
livered. An entirely new baggage Fazio and his team.” part of the team which privatized, prepare Mr. Meijs for the upcoming
hall was opened in 2016. As part of developed, and thereafter, op- construction project and the lead-
the construction of the Eindhoven Jabine van der Meijs, CFO of Royal erated JFK’s Terminal 4, and has ership role of the airport.”
Airport Boulevard, expected to Schiphol Group: “Under the lead- most recently served as Aruba
be completed in 2020, the rebuilt ership of Joost Meijs, Eindhoven Airport’s CEO for the past 5 years. “I want to emphasize that I very
parking garage will be opened in Airport grew into a strong and ful- Prior his time with Schiphol Mr. much enjoyed my time in Aruba
October. ly-fledged airport - after Schiphol Fazio was employed for 12 years and I feel honored to have been
After a period of rapid quantitative the 2nd airport in the Netherlands for the Port Authority of New York trusted to lead Aruba’s national air-
growth, the airport announced at - which is of great value both in the and New Jersey, where he served port for the past 5 years, and I will
the end of 2018 a change of course region and within the wider Royal in several supervisory positions in continue to be 100% committed to
towards more quality-oriented de- Schiphol Group. Joost's broad airport operations. During his time AAA during the my remaining time
velopment. This strategy is aimed knowledge and experience will be in Aruba, among other accom- here; as we still have several impor-
at ensuring that Eindhoven Airport a valuable addition to the further plishments, he has provided the tant project-related milestones to
makes a significant contribution to development of Queen Beatrix In- leadership and guidance for the cross in the coming months.”
a sustainable society in the next ternational Airport Aruba. We wish airport’s Gateway 2030 expansion
ten years that is in line with regional him every success in this. " project, and led the organization AAA thanks Mr. Fazio for his efforts
Brainport developments. Queen Beatrix International Airport through the most profitable years to further develop the growing air-
in Aruba is operated and man- in the airport’s history. Mr. Fazio port and wishes Mr. Fazio all the
Joost Meijs: “I am extremely proud aged by Aruba Airport Authority commented on the timing of the best in his next career goals and
of the collective achievements of N.V. (AAA). AAA has had a suc- decision: “The airport is transition- welcomes Mr. Joost Meijs to the
the team which ensured the suc- cessful strategic partnership with ing from the planning to the con- AAA team.q