Auckland International Airport to get new chairman

Wayne Boyd has resigned as chairman of Auckland International Airport because he says his new role as Telecom chairman will take too much of his time.

John Maasland would join the airport board immediately and was expected to take over as chairman after the annual meeting in October, the company said.

Boyd said: "In light of my significant additional commitment to Telecom, I am consolidating my current board roles.

"There are only so many directorships I can realistically and effectively undertake."

Boyd - a former lawyer and now a professional director - said he would also resign from the board of stockbroker Forsyth Barr.

Maasland is a director of Herald publisher APN News & Media, Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Macquarie Goodman (NZ), Delegats Group and Woosh Wireless.

He was chairman of Carter Holt Harvey until it was taken over by Graeme Hart this year.

Shares in Auckland Airport - which is embroiled in a dispute with Air New Zealand over landing fees - closed unchanged at $2.10 yesterday.

Boyd was appointed a director of Auckland Airport in 1996, and elected chairman that year.