(SAINT JOHN) Thursday, June 18th, 2020 – Derrick Stanford, president and chief executive officer of Saint John Airport Inc., has been appointed the new president of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association (ACAA). The ACAA is an industry association that speaks on behalf of twelve airports in the Atlantic region and collaborates to promote the region and grow air access.

 

Stanford replaces Reg Wright, president and chief executive officer of Gander International Airport Authority, who served for two years as the ACAA’s president.

“We very much appreciate Reg’s contribution to the betterment of our region’s airports,” said Monette Pasher, executive director of the ACAA. “Under Reg’s leadership the ACAA contributed to air access growth in Atlantic Canada, helped to improve federal government airport infrastructure funding, and dealt with the immediate crippling effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel and airport operations.”

Stanford joined Saint John Airport in 2016 following a career of progressively senior management positions primarily in the technology sector. He has served as an ACAA director for 4 years and most recently held the position of vice president on the board of directors.

“We’re very pleased that Derrick has taken on this busy volunteer role of president,” says Pasher. “He is passionate about the importance of Atlantic Canada’s airports and has a great vision for air travel to and from Atlantic Canada. We look forward to his leadership and guidance.”

Stanford takes on his new role at a time when air travel is severely limited due to federal and provincial travel restrictions and mandatory 14-day self-isolation requirements in several provinces and territories for arriving travellers.

“Airports are dealing with unprecedented financial challenges due to the loss of revenues associated with the negative impact of COVID-19,” says Stanford. “But our airports are an essential service for health and our economy, so we keep the lights on and maintain our high standards of safety and security.

“It could be two years before we get back to any meaningful level of pre COVID-19 travel activity. Airports need to collaborate and work together more than ever before and there’s a big role that the ACAA can play.”

As the new president of the association, an immediate priority for Stanford is continuing the dialogue with federal and provincial governments for financial relief so that mandatory equipment and other infrastructure upgrades and refurbishment projects can be completed.

About the Atlantic Canada Airports Association

The ACAA represents 12 airports in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The region’s airports typically move over 8 million passengers and approximately 60,000 metric tons of cargo annually and account for more than 46,000 jobs in the region. Airports represented by the Atlantic Canada Airports Association are private, not-for-profit, non-share capital corporations where all revenue generated is reinvested in airport infrastructure. Atlantic Canada’s airports are significant economic generators with passenger and cargo traffic generating over $4.4 billion annually into the Atlantic Canada economy.

Media Inquiries

Monette Pasher, Executive Director, Atlantic Canada Airport Association
Cell: (902) 802-5651
Email: Monette@acairports.ca