London Gatwick Chief Executive Stewart Wingate appointed Managing Director, UK Airports Pierre-Hugues Schmit will succeed Stewart as the airport's Chief Executive
Following a very successful 15 years as Chief Executive of London Gatwick, Stewart Wingate has been appointed as Managing Director, UK Airports, a newly created role by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP).
In this role, Stewart will oversee the future development and strategic direction of London Gatwick, Edinburgh Airport and Belfast International, with the Chief Executives of these three airports reporting into him. Stewart will continue to jointly report into both VINCI and GIP in relation to London Gatwick and Edinburgh Airport.*
Pierre-Hugues Schmit, currently Chief Commercial and Operational Officer at VINCI Airports and a non-executive director on the London Gatwick Board, will succeed Stewart as Chief Executive of London Gatwick.
Both appointments are effective 1 September 2025 with Pierre-Hugues and Stewart working together over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition.
Nicolas Notebaert, CEO of VINCI Concessions and President of VINCI Airports and Michael McGhee, Deputy Chairman of Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) said: “Stewart is one of the most experienced aviation executives in Europe and on behalf of the Board we would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to London Gatwick. During his tenure, passenger numbers have climbed from 30 million in 2009 to more than 43 million, fuelled by significant growth in long-haul routes and strong airline relationships. He has also overseen major transformations in areas including runway and airfield operations and security and embedded sustainability at the heart of airport operations. His broad expertise and strong track record make him an ideal choice for the newly created role of Managing Director for the UK as we look to maximise the opportunities across our UK portfolio.
“We would also like to thank Pierre-Hugues Schmit for his significant contribution to the development and performance of VINCI Airports as Chief Commercial and Operations Officer for the past seven years. Thanks to his extensive experience in the aviation sector and as a Board member for London Gatwick, Pierre-Hugues is well-placed to deliver on the significant growth opportunities that lie ahead for London Gatwick. We wish both of them much success in their new roles.“
Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive, London Gatwick said: “It’s been a privilege to lead the London Gatwick team for over 15 years through a number of very exciting projects such as the seven-year planning process to bring our Northern Runway into routine use and more challenging periods such as the Covid pandemic. I have also been fortunate to have had the opportunity to engage with a broad range of local stakeholders as we have shaped and delivered our plans.
"The airport is in a strong financial and operational position with more airlines than ever before serving our passengers. I am delighted to be handing over to Pierre Hugues and look forward to continuing to be involved with London Gatwick and working with the teams from Edinburgh and Belfast in my new role.”
Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Commercial and Operational Officer at VINCI Airports said: “London Gatwick plays a vital role in the UK, by providing seamless access to both global and domestic markets and delivering substantial trade and economic benefits in the South-East and beyond. I’m excited to be joining London Gatwick as Chief Executive to lead the airport through the next stage of its growth journey.”
*For both London Gatwick and Edinburgh Airport, VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%. Belfast International Airport is wholly owned by VINCI Airports.
With 43 million annual passengers, London Gatwick is the UK’s second largest and one of Europe’s top ten airports. It is a vital piece of national infrastructure that drives both the national and regional economies by generating £5.5 billion GVA and supporting over 76,000 jobs (2023). Almost 60 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 50 long-haul destinations. With a declared capacity of 55 movements an hour, London Gatwick is the most efficient single runway airport in the world.
The airport is located 28 miles south of the UK capital and is extremely well-connected, with more than a quarter of England’s population (15 million people) – including all of London – less than one hour away by road or rail. A six-year, £2 billion growth programme includes an ambitious plan to be a net zero airport by 2030 and to increase capacity by bringing the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway. VINCI Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99%.
The world’s leading private airport operator, VINCI Airports operates more than 70 airports in 14 countries. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, VINCI Airports develops, finances, builds and manages airports by providing its investment capacity and its know-how in optimizing operational performance, modernizing infrastructure and managing their operations and environmental transition. VINCI Airports is the first airport operator to have committed to an international environmental strategy in 2016, to achieve the goal of net zero emissions across its entire network by 2050.
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Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock, is a leading infrastructure investor that specializes in investing in, owning and operating some of the largest and most complex assets across the energy, transport, digital infrastructure and water and waste management sectors. With energy pragmatism central to our investment thesis, we are well positioned to support the global energy transition.
GIP’s scaled platform has over $170 billion in assets under management. We believe that our focus on real infrastructure assets, combined with our deep proprietary origination network and comprehensive operational expertise, enables us to be responsible stewards of our clients’ capital and to create positive economic impact for communities. For more information, visit www.global-infra.com.
