Airways boss calls it a day after five years

Airways boss Graeme Sumner has resigned after two tumultuous years for aviation and a big U-turn on sweeping plans to close control towers in regional centres.

Sumner will finish on June 3 after five years at the top of the state agency.

Chief financial officer James Young will be acting chief executive while the board searches for a replacement for Sumner.

Sumner started with Airways in 2017, when it was a highly profitable monopoly provider of air traffic control services.

Before the pandemic he was driving changes to increase digitisation and automation.

Soon after Covid-19 hit, Airways in May 2020 proposed removing air traffic control services at Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Rotorua and Invercargill airports and withdrawing flight information services at Kāpiti Airport and Milford Sound’s Piopiotahi Aerodrome. Airways said control of flights could be carried out from bigger centres.

Aeronautical studies — which include safety — were undertaken and have so far resulted in a reversal on the decision to close towers at Hawke’s Bay, Rotorua, New Plymouth and Invercargill. The aerodrome flight information service is staying at Milford Sound Piopiotahi.

Before the Airways job, Sumner led ASXlisted organisations in services and manufacturing environments focused on technology innovation and development.

Airways has just launched consultation with its stakeholders, customers and the wider industry on its pricing for the next three-yearly cycle running from August 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025.