City of Derry Airport.
The board of City of Derry Airport (CoDA) needs “refreshing,” according to Sharon O’Connor, chief executive of Derry City Council which runs the airport.
In a report to be presented to this afternoon’s monthly meeting of the Council, Ms O’Connor will tell councillors it is “good practice” to renew board membership and “now might be the opportune time to consider refreshing” its make-up.
Councillors are expected to back her request to advertise for a board member with the “relevant business background and skills” to complement current board members.
Ms O’Connor will also tell members it would be “helpful to encourage” female candidates to come forward.
In her report, Ms O’Connor says: “The Airport needs to find new ways to secure sustainable routes and to market its operations in order to reduce the subvention required.
Sharon O’Connor, Derry City Council chief executive.
“To support the continued work of developing the economic potential of the airport now might be an opportune time to consider ‘refreshing’ the membership of the airport board to enhance the commercial breadth of the board.
“It is good practice to renew board membership and permission is sought to advertise for the appointment of at least one new board member with a relevant business background and skills which would be complementary to the other board members.
“It would also be helpful to encourage female candidates to come forward.”
If given the go-ahead, the Council will advertise and “run a competition” for the position of External Non Executive Board which is remunerated at £10,000 per year.
Ms. O’Connor’s recommendation follows travel firm Falcon Holidays’ decision in February last to cancel flights from City of Derry Airport to the Canary island of Lanzarote.
The previous month, the airport’s director, Damien Tierney, said he expected passenger numbers to drop by between 10 and 15 per cent over the coming year.
Mr Tierney told members of the council’s Regional Services Committee that 2014-2015 would “probably be our most difficult.”
CIty of Derry Airport director Damien Tierney.
Air passenger duty charges, the economic downturn and competition with airports in the Republic of Ireland were listed as reasons for the downturn.
Councillors were told while there was a slight increase during the BBC Radio 1’s “One Big Weekend” and the All-Ireland Fleadh, there was no increase in passenger numbers during 2013.
Derry ratepayers currently contribute £2 million a year to the running of the airport.
Ms O’Connor is to leave Derry City Council next March when she will be replaced by the Council’s Strategic Officer John Kelpie who will become the chief executive of the newly-formed Derry-Strabane “Super Council.”
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