The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Gatwick planner appointed chief operating officer at Hial
A former head of airfield planning at Gatwick Airport has been appointed chief operating officer at Highlands and Islands Airports (Hial).
In the newly created role, Gary Cobb will be second in command to managing director Inglis Lyon at the organisation, which runs 10 air terminals in the north and Dundee Airport.
He will have specific responsibilities for managing Scottish Government-funded Hial’s day-to-day operational activities, as well as for air traffic management strategy and other largescale capital projects.
At Gatwick, Mr Cobb was responsible for a project to develop a second runway.
In a previous role, as head of airside at the London airport, he had responsibility for its single runway, which is the busiest in the world, as well as for other areas including operations, engineering, technical and fire services.
He previously worked in manufacturing leadership roles for Mars, Tarmac and household products giant Reckitt Benckiser.
Mr Cobb studied chemical engineering at Edinburgh University and also holds an executive MBA qualification from Warwick University.
Mr Lyon said: “I’m delighted to welcome such a highly experienced individual to Hial’s senior management team.
“Gary’s considerable skills and breadth of knowledge in both aviation and manufacturing will complement our existing senior team, and contribute significantly to Hial’s future strategy.”