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 organization, maintaining contacts with external stakeholders, and will oversee the airport’s redevelopment, as it starts a significant 5-year capital investment and construction program with a value of 300 million USD. The Supervisory Board of Eindhoven 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 Deputy Director, he became General Manager / CEO of the airport on October 1, 2008.
During his career at Eindhoven Airport, the airport has evolved from more than 1 million passengers in 2006 to, forecasted, more than 6.5 million passengers in 2019. The second airport in the Netherlands offers direct connections to more than 80 destinations within and outside Europe.
In terms of infrastructure, the airport had considerably expanded. In 2013, a hotel (owned by Eindhoven Airport) and an extension of the land and air terminal were delivered. An entirely new baggage hall was opened in 2016. As part of the construction of the Eindhoven Airport Boulevard, expected to be completed in 2020, the rebuilt parking garage will be opened in October.
After a period of rapid quantitative growth, the airport announced at the end of 2018 a change of course towards more quality-oriented development. This strategy is aimed at ensuring that Eindhoven Airport makes a significant contribution to a sustainable society in the next ten years that is in line with regional Brainport developments.
Joost Meijs:“I am extremely proud of the collective achievements of the team which ensured the success of Eindhoven Airport. I was very happy to lead this airport where public and private parties come together. Bringing together apparently opposing interests as closely as possible, has greatly inspired me from start to finish. At the same time, I look forward to contribute to new successes of the international airport of Aruba and I am really impressed by all that has been achieved so far by James Fazio and his team.”
Jabine van der Meijs, CFO of Royal Schiphol Group: “Under the leadership of Joost Meijs, Eindhoven Airport grew into a strong and fully-fledged airport - after Schiphol the 2nd airport in the Netherlands - which is of great value both in the region and within the wider Royal Schiphol Group. Joost's broad knowledge and experience will be a valuable addition to the further development of Queen Beatrix International Airport Aruba. We wish him every success in this. "
Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba is operated and managed by Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA). AAA has had a successful strategic partnership with Royal Schiphol Group for the past 15 years and its current CEO, Mr. James Fazio, recently announced his personal decision to leave the position as CEO of AAA effective at the end of his current employment agreement; which is August 31st, 2019.
Mr. Fazio has worked for Royal Schiphol Group for the past 22 years, having started in 1997 as part of the team which privatized, developed, and thereafter, operated JFK’s Terminal 4, and has most recently served as Aruba Airport’s CEO for the past 5 years. Prior his time with Schiphol Mr. Fazio was employed for 12 years for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he served in several supervisory positions in airport operations. During his time in Aruba, among other accomplishments, he has provided the leadership and guidance for the airport’s Gateway 2030 expansion project, and led the organization through the most profitable years in the airport’s history. Mr. Fazio commented on the timing of the decision: “The airport is transitioning from the planning to the construction phase of the Gateway 2030 project, which required the difficult decision as to whether or not to stay another 5 years, and based on personal reasons, I have chosen to resume my career back in New York. Royal Schiphol Group has now identified my successor in the person of Mr. Joost Meijs. This has been a carefully planned transition, which will allow for a 4 to 5 month hand-over, and properly prepare Mr. Meijs for the upcoming construction project and the leadership role of the airport.”
“I want to emphasize that I very much enjoyed my time in Aruba and I feel honored to have been trusted to lead Aruba’s national airport for the past 5 years, and I will continue to be 100% committed to AAA during the my remaining time here; as we still have several important project-related milestones to cross in the coming months.”
AAA thanks Mr. Fazio for his efforts to further develop the growing airport and wishes Mr. Fazio all the best in his next career goals and welcomes Mr. Joost Meijs to the AAA team.
Papiamento
Joost Meijs apunta como CEO di Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix
ORANJESTAD - Joost Meijs, CEO di Eindhoven Airport, desde 1 di September 2019 lo cuminsa fungi den nomber di Royal Schiphol Group como CEO di Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix; tumando over di James Fazio, cu desde 2014 tabata e aeropuerto su CEO. Sr. Meijs lo ta responsabel pa e desaroyo di maneho y organisacion, mantencion di contacto cu stakeholdernan externo, y lo guia aeropuerto su proyecto di expansion, mirando cu e ta duna inicio na un programa di inversion di capital y construccion significante di 5 aña cu un balor di 300 miyon dollar. E hunta di supervision di Eindhoven Airport lo ta en busca di e sucesor adecua den e periodo nos dilanti.
Lagando su posicion existente atras, Meijs lo a traha cu Eindhoven Airport pa 13 aña. El a cuminsa riba 1 di Maart 2006 como “Director of Commercial Services & PR”. Despues di un periodo cortico como “Deputy Director”, el a bira “General Manager / CEO” di e aeropuerto riba 1 di Oktober, 2008.
Durante su carera na Eindhoven Airport, e aeropuerto a transforma di un aeropuerto cu ta atende mas di 1 miyon pasahero den 2006 pa un aeropuerto cu ta atende mas di 6.5 miyon pasahero den 2019. E segundo aeropuerto den Hulanda ta ofrece coneccionnan directo pa mas di 80 destinacion den y pafo di Europa.
Den cuadro di infrastructura, e aeropuerto a expande considerablemente. Na 2013, un hotel (perteneciendo na Eindhoven Airport) y un extension di terminal di tereno y aereo a wordo entrega. Un “baggage hall” completamente nobo a wordo habri na 2016. Como parti di e construccion di e Eindhoven Airport Boulevard, cu ta wordo spera cu lo keda completa na anja 2020, e parkeo reconstrui lo habri na Oktober.
Despues di un periodo di crecimento cuantitativo rapido, e aeropuerto a anuncia na final di 2018 un cambio di rumbo pa bai mas den e direccion di desaroyo cualitativo. E strategia aki ta pa yuda sigura cu Eindhoven Airport ta duna un contribucion significante na e sociedad sostenibel den e siguiente 10 añanan cu ta den liña cu desaroyonan regional di Brainport.
Joost Meijs:“Mi ta sumamente orguyoso di e logronan colectivo di e ekipo cu a garantisa e exito di Eindhoven Airport. Mi tabata hopi contento pa guia e aeropuerto unda cu partidonan publico y priva ta encontra otro. Tresiendo interesnan cu ta aparenta contrario mas serca cu ta posibel na otro, a inspira mi desde comienso te final. Na mes momento, mi ta ansioso pa por contribui na e exito di e aeropuerto internacional di Aruba y mi ta hopi impreshona cu tur loke a wordo alcansa te cu aworaki door di James Fazio y su ekipo.”
Jabine van der Meijs, CFO di Royal Schiphol Group: “Bou di e liderasgo di Joost Meijs, Eindhoven Airport a crese den un aeropuerto fuerte – despues di Schiphol birando e segundo aeropuerto den Hulanda – cu tin hopi balor tanto den region como tambe pa Royal Schiphol Group. Joost su conocemento amplio y experiencia lo ta hopi valioso pa sigui desaroya Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix. Nos ta desee hopi exito cu esaki."
Aeropuerto Internacional Reina Beatrix ta wordo opera y maneha pa Aruba Airport Authority N.V. (AAA). AAA tin un partnership strategico cu Royal Schiphol Group pa 15 aña caba y su CEO actual Sr. James Fazio, recientemente a anuncia su decision personal pa laga e posicion di CEO di AAA atras na final di e acuerdo di empleo actual cu ta termina 31 di Augustus 2019.
Sr. Fazio a traha pa Royal Schiphol Group pa e ultimo 22 añanan, despues cu el a cuminsa na 1997 como parti di e ekipo cu a privatisa, desaroya y despues opera JFK su terminal 4, y mas recientemente tabata CEO di aeropuerto di Aruba pa e ultimo 5 añanan. Prome cu su tempo cu Schiphol Sr. Fazio tabata emplea pa 12 aña pa Port Authority of New York y New Jersey, unda el a traha den varioso posicion di supervision den e area di operacion di aeropuerto. Durante su tempo na Aruba, banda di a alcansa diferente logro, a brinda liderazgo y guia pa e proyecto di expansion Gateway 2030 di aeropuerto. Sr. Fazio a comenta riba e “timing” di su decishon: “Aeropuerto ta transicionando for di e fase di planiamento pa e fase di construccion di e proyecto Gateway 2030, cu a rekeri e decision dificil pa wak si lo keda 5 aña mas of no, y basa riba motibonan personal, mi deseo ta pa ta mas serca di mi famia y amistadnan y continua cu mi carera bek na New York. Royal Schiphol Group a identifica un candidato como mi sucesor, y den e proximo siman mas o menos e CEO nobo lo bishita Aruba y lo wordo introduci na e Accionista, Hunta di Supervision, y staf di AAA.” Esaki ta un transicion plania pa permiti un transicion di 4 pa 5 luna, y pa prepara e siguiente CEO debidamente pa e proyecto di construccion cu ta na caminda y pa asina e por asumi e responsabilidad pa lidera aeropuerto.
“Mi kier enfatisa cu mi a disfruta di mi tempo na Aruba y ta sinti mi honra di a wordo confia pa lidera Aruba su aeropuerto nacional pa e ultimo 5 añanan y mi lo sigui ta 100% comprometi na AAA durante e resto di tempo cu mi tin aki; como cu nos tin varios milestone relata cu e Proyecto pa crusa den e lunanan nos dilanti.”
AAA ta gradici Sr. Fazio pa su esfuersonan pa sigui desaroya e aeropuerto creciente y ta desea Sr. Fazio tur cos bon den su siguiente metanan personal y ta yama bonbini na Sr. Joost Meijs na e ekipo di AAA.
