Australian to Run Wellington Airport

Australian to Run Wellington Airport 
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand

13 January 2004  

Wellington International Airport has appointed
Australian Simon Draper as its new chief executive,
replacing John Sheridan. 

Mr Draper, 39, will start in the role on March 3. 

Mr Sheridan announced last month that he would leave
the airport, soon after the company won a legal
dispute with Air New Zealand over a 78 per cent
increase in landing charges. 

He left on Friday after five years at the helm, during
which he oversaw the development of the $116 million
passenger terminal. The airport's development focus
would now turn to the construction of a big retail
development on its western boundary. 

Wellington airport chairman Phil Walker said Mr Draper
had an extensive background in the airport,
electricity and property industries. He is currently
general manager of commercial operations at
Australia's biggest electricity retailer and
distributor, Integral Energy. 

Previously, Mr Draper was chief executive of Northern
Territory Airports, which was then owned by Infratil
New Zealand's former sister company, Infratil
Australia. 

Infratil Australia was bought by Australian Investment
Fund in 2000 and delisted. 

Infratil owns 66 per cent of Wellington Airport and
Wellington City Council holds 34 per cent. 

Northern Territory Airports operated and developed
Darwin, Alice Springs and Tennant Creek airports. 

Mr Draper has also held senior positions with the
Federal Airports Corporation and Qantas Airways, and
has a master of business from the University of
Technology in Sydney. 

Mr Draper did not return calls yesterday. 

Mr Sheridan has been taken on by Origin Pacific as
acting chief financial officer for at least the first
quarter of this year. 

He was previously chief financial officer at failed
Ansett Australia and air freight manager with Ansett
New Zealand. 

Mr Sheridan was understood to have surprised senior
management with his resignation, but industry insiders
said there was nothing untoward in it. The company was
moving into a new phase and the out-of-court
settlement with Air New Zealand over the landing
charges came as a surprise, he said yesterday. 

"I thought that the consultation with Air New Zealand
was going to go on for another six to 12 months, going
through the courts, and the completion of that brought
it to a head." 


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