Queenstown remains Virgin Australia's only NZ destination. Video / Supplied
Queenstown Airport chief executive Glen Sowry will leave the role in June next year.
Sowry joined the airport in September 2021 at the height of the Covid pandemic and has overseen a strong period of recovery for the airport and the development of a 10-year Strategic Plan and related MasterPlan.
He also saw off a threat from a potential rival airport at Tarras, in Central Otago.
Before joining the airport, Sowry was chief executive of Metlifecare and prior to that head of Housing New Zealand (now Kāinga Ora). He also spent a decade at Air New Zealand in senior management roles, including three years as general manager operations leading a large team across New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
Today he said he didn’t have another job to go to after 25 years in corporate roles.
“I have decided to change gears from next year. My partner and I have a new yacht being built in France currently and will be splitting our time between Europe and NZ. I am also starting to develop a new governance career which I’m really looking forward to expanding,” he told the Herald.
Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said she led the recruitment for a new chief executive in 2021 and was delighted to hire Sowry, as she knew he had a track record as a strong leader and communicator and a passion for aviation.
“Glen has been an outstanding leader and will continue to lead the team at QAC until the middle of 2025.”
The board has been discussing succession planning with Sowry for some months as a normal part of good governance. The company had started the recruitment process for a new chief executive.
Sowry said the past three years have been both a challenging and exciting period.
Glen Sowry, chief executive of Queenstown Airport.
“From no flights in my first week in the role to a full recovery to pre-Covid levels, and a clearly defined strategy and Master Plan now approved and in delivery, it has been an exhilarating journey,” he said.
“I am, however, most proud of the way Queenstown Airport has recalibrated its approach to respond to the expectations and needs of the community it serves and its wide customer base through genuine and extensive engagement and consultation.”
Rival Christchurch Airport had proposed a new operation at Tarras but earlier this year said it had put the project on hold.
Deputy chair Simon Flood, recently appointed to succeed Young-Cooper from the end of this month, also acknowledged Sowry’s contribution
“Glen has made a huge contribution to the business during his tenure, which extends far beyond the airfield boundaries. He has firmly established Queenstown Airport’s reputation as a listening and transparent organisation that is committed to serving its communities’ best interests.”
For the year to June 30, the airport’s earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (ebitda) were $46.2 million (compared to $43.9m last year) on revenue of $64.7m ($59.6m) and a normalised profit of $23.2m ($22.2m).
It paid a $19.6m dividend to shareholders, the Queenstown Lakes District Council (with 75.01%) and Auckland International Airport.
While other airports nationally remain below pre-Covid passenger numbers, Queenstown is up 7% on 2019 levels and the 2,487,610 passengers for the past year was ahead of 2,370,488 in 2023.
During Sowry’s tenure, the airport has benefitted from a strong domestic tourism bounceback during and after the pandemic and has attracted Australian airlines back to the area. It remains the only airport where Virgin Australia has resumed flights to New Zealand.
Grant Bradley has been working at the Herald since 1993. He is the Business Herald’s deputy editor and covers aviation and tourism.
