The name may keep changing, but the job remains the same at East Midlands Airport. Sam Metcalf spoke to managing director Penny Coates about planes, trains and automobiles and why she relishes the challenge of airport management.
Tracking down the elusive managing director of East Midlands Airport (EMA) is like finding your luggage on the carousel at the height of summer after a terribly hot 14-hour flight home: tricky, and somewhat frustrating.Penny Coates is a busy person, make no mistake.But the hard work has paid off. When Coates joined EMA in April 2005 the airport was mired in countless, ridiculous name changes and passengers were flying from elsewhere to either get away on holiday or jump on a plane to get to a business meeting.
That's all changed. She says: "Over the last 18 months we have expanded EMA's facilities significantly and we grew at 20 per cent for the last financial year. We're now the fastest growing airport in the UK.
This is particularly pleasing for me because traffic numbers were going backwards at the time I joined."
She's not one to hide her light under a bushel, then. But why should she be? Since graduating from university, Coates has tasted success wherever she's been and that includes high-profile assignments at Mars, PepsiCo and, most notably, Asda.
At Asda she was promoted to look after the private label side of the supermarket giant's business and soon found herself in the firing line of the Food Commission and the Health Select Committee after the retail giant was found to be the worst offender for targeting children with sweet displays.
Coates responded by changing Asda's entire policy and introducing packets of fresh fruit and healthier snacks at checkouts. Clearly she's not afraid to make big decisions. And the next one came after she decided to leave her career in the food and drink industry behind and join EMA.
It was a challenge she relished, though. Coates says: "I always loved travel and when I was approached about the job, I was delighted.
It just felt right."
As anyone in the aviation business will tell you, there are more issues and challenges now than ever before.
Air travel gets blamed for everything from noise pollution to global warming. But the airports are cleaning up their act - they have to. Coates is at pains to recognise this, saying: "In terms of sustainability, I believe that the challenge for all airports is to grow responsibly, at least in line with market growth. We are on an island, with an economy based on commerce, so convenient connectivity is important for the prosperity of a region."
That, to put it mildly, is stating the obvious and displays Coates' side of a business diplomat. But, credit where credit's due, she does come up with the goods if pushed.
On climate change she has a very clear vision of where EMA is going.
EMA, as Coates sees it, is dealing well with the change in working culture. She says: "In terms of being a good neighbour, listening to our surrounding communities is important, as is sensible environmental management. I believe that population containment and preservation of rainforests offers the greatest opportunities to impact on CO2. "However, we are doing our bit - East Midlands Airport operations will be carbon neutral by 2012."
If there's one thing that immediately becomes clear it's that Coates is no-one's yes woman. She's come into EMA with no immediately recognisable background in the aviation or airport industry, has shaken a few things up, and has - one way or another - put the place on the map again.
EMA is part of a wider network of airports that stretches from Bournemouth all the way up to Humberside and Coates has responsibilities at them all. No wonder she's hard to track down.
But she clearly takes pride in the fact that EMA is very much a separate entity. While she can see the wider benefits of belonging to a network of airports, she's obviously very proud of what she's achieved at EMA.
She says: "EMA, like all businesses, needs to generate sufficient cash to reinvest in its growth, regardless of ownership. Clearly having colleagues with similar roles at Manchester Airport is helpful in terms of sharing learning and best practice."
The next few years are going to be important for EMA, especially as its catchment area combines so heavily with the bigger Birmingham International Airport (BIA).
Compared with BIA, road connections to EMA are substandard.
And so the development of the Parkway Station unveiled earlier this year is great news for Coates.
She says: "There are some very encouraging improvements to transport and logistics in the East Midlands, such as the Parkway Station being built on the A453, very close to the airport. This will improve our connectivity with London and the North. The airport is conveniently located for the M1, M42 and M69 so we are easily accessible."
But the airport is not so accessible from the city of Nottingham itself.
Anyone who travels regularly on the A453 will tell you as much.
The funding and development of the Parkway Station is a godsend for EMA, as it will effectively link it with London by train. Some £324m of funding will be spent in the next two years on developing the new station.
Coates hopes that this will bring the local community closer to the airport. He says: "Airports are no different to any other businesses in that they are an integral part of the whole community around them.
Airports provide business and employment opportunities and many people in the area around EMA either work at the airport themselves, or have friends or family who do. Many of our neighbours also travel from the airport.
"However, because airline operations are a fundamental part of an airport's business and they can cause disturbance to some people, it is important that a responsible and open approach is taken to dialogue with neighbouring communities and that the impact of aircraft is minimised as far as is practical."
For an airport with a footfall of five million people, just 580 complaints received in the last year is quite impressive.
And drive is one thing you can't accuse Coates of lacking. As mentioned earlier, it's odd for someone with such a high profile to give such candid answers on the big issues, but she doesn't seem shy.
When asked if there was one thing she would alter about the air travel industry, she says: "If I could change one thing it would be the same thing that I would change for all UK cities and populated areas, I would wish to remove the threat of terrorism.
"If I could have a second wish, huge technological steps towards silent vehicles with no emissions would be good."
Coates has obviously immersed herself in her new role over the last two years to such an extent that she really does believe in change and environmental change at that.
She believes that EMA has solid foundations on which to go forward, but is unwilling to throw money about, saying: "We'll continue to manage the business model around affordable expansion and listening to our colleagues and customers.
"I have a great team and a strong catchment area around EMA so, with the right focus, we should continue to perform well."
Also in: September 2007
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