New chief appointed at Manston airport

Charles Buchanan

Clipping: thisiskent

A new chief executive has been appointed to run Kent International Airport Manston. Before joining airport owners Infratil Charles Buchanan worked for more than 10 years at London City Airport, ultimately as Strategy and Communications Director. During this time he was responsible for the airport’s master plan and gaining planning permission to increase the permitted movement numbers from 73,000 to 120,000 per year.

In addition he managed the development of the airport through investment programmes totalling over £40 million, together with sales, marketing and communications activity. Mr Buchanan trained as a civil engineer at Oxford University, and joined the Channel Tunnel Group in 1985. He was part of the team that submitted the successful bid to build and operate Eurotunnel, and latterly was responsible for sales and marketing, both in the UK and on the continent, through the opening in 1994 and the first years of operation.

Mr Buchanan takes up the top job at Manston following the departure of former chief executive Matt Clarke earlier this year. Since Mr Clarke returned to his native New Zealand to work on Infratil's operations there, the Manston job has been filled by interim chief executive Tom Wilson who is head of Infratil's other UK airport at Prestwick in Scotland.