Holland-Kaye quits civil service recruitment panel for new DfT aviation lead, after backlash from airlines
Recently it was learned that John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow airport, had been included in the 6-person panel to select the next incumbent of the role of most senior DfT aviation official. There had been outcry, fury and condemnation from the airlines, due to the fear of bias and the threat to impartiality if Holland-Kaye was involved. Now he has stepped down from the panel, following a backlash from airlines. Nigel Wicking, chief executive of the Heathrow Airline Operating Committee, a body that represents the carriers serving the airport, said: “We note and support the Civil Service values of ‘impartiality, objectivity, integrity and honesty’ and would question how the panel can be impartial when it contains the chief executive of Heathrow Airport, the regulated monopoly that the new director general will oversee. … Whether any bias is real or just perceived, it will cast shade on any future Government decisions involving Heathrow.”
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Heathrow chief quits civil service recruitment panel after backlash from airlines
John Holland-Kaye steps down after airlines raised impartiality fears
By Oliver Gill, CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT (Telegraph)
21 February 2022
The chief executive of Heathrow airport has stepped down from the panel selecting Britain’s most senior aviation official following a backlash from airlines.
The Telegraph disclosed this month that John Holland-Kaye was part of a six-person team choosing the director general of aviation, maritime and security in the Department for Transport. The rest of the panel were civil servants.
However, following accusations that Mr Holland-Kaye’s presence was a threat to the impartiality of the process, his name has been removed from the panel.
A Heathrow source said that it was Mr Holland-Kaye’s decision to step down.
A spokesman for the Government said: “This fair and open recruitment process only recently launched. Following further consideration of the most suitable approach to recruiting for this important role, John Holland-Kaye has stepped down from the panel. We will continue with the current campaign.”
Airline bosses previously responded angrily to the Government’s decision to appoint Mr Holland-Kaye. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are locked in a bitter dispute with Heathrow over plans to increase landing fees by up to 90pc.
When the job was first advertised, one industry insider said that airline heads had “certainly made their feelings known” to the Department for Transport.
Nigel Wicking, chief executive of the Heathrow Airline Operating Committee, a body that represents the carriers serving the airport, said: “We note and support the Civil Service values of ‘impartiality, objectivity, integrity and honesty’ and would question how the panel can be impartial when it contains the chief executive of Heathrow Airport, the regulated monopoly that the new director general will oversee.”
Another senior industry source said eight days ago: “Aviation is supposed to be a competitive industry so it beggars belief that the chief executive of the UK’s biggest airport, which has to be tightly regulated to stop it abusing its monopoly position, is directly involved in the appointment of a senior government official with responsibility for the sector.
“Whether any bias is real or just perceived, it will cast shade on any future Government decisions involving Heathrow.”
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See earlier:
DfT post of Director General for Aviation advertised – panel of 6 to select, includes John Holland-Kaye
The role of Director General for Aviation, Maritime and Security at the DfT is currently being advertised, at a salary of about £130,000. Applications can be submitted until 28th February. The previous incumbent was Gareth Davis, who was replaced by an interim director, Dr Rannia Leontaridi, in January 2022. There will be a panel of 6 people to select the new director; 5 of the 6 are civil servants. But the 6th person is John Holland-Kaye, the CEO of Heathrow airport. Details of the panel, how John Holland-Kaye could be on it, and the proper process of selecting the applicant for one of the most influential roles in aviation in the UK, are still unclear. It is hoped that this will be clarified soon. Airlines are very unhappy about John’s choice to be on the panel, and the possibility of undue influence.
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