Charley Maher appointed Bristol Airport chief executive
Bristol Airport has appointed Charley Maher as its new chief executive, with the incoming CEO due to succeed Dave Lees at the end of 2026.
image: Bristol Airport
Maher is currently group chief executive of South Staffordshire Group, a regulated water and infrastructure services business, where she has been CEO since 2023. She has previously held senior roles at NatWest and Wessex Water/YTL Group.
Her background spans regulated infrastructure, utilities and financial services, including responsibility for operational businesses, investment programmes and relationships with regulators, customers and other stakeholders. She will join Bristol Airport over the coming months to support the transition.
Maher will take over as Bristol Airport enters a further phase of infrastructure investment and planned capacity growth. The airport is currently progressing a £400m terminal transformation programme, including an expanded departure lounge, while its longer-term Master Plan to 2040 sets out requirements for future airport infrastructure.
The airport has also submitted a planning application to increase its annual passenger capacity from 12m to 15m. The proposals include additional terminal space, improved passenger facilities and wider infrastructure changes, as well as increased connectivity to destinations in Europe and a limited number of longer-haul markets.
Maher, who has lived and worked in Bristol and North Somerset for many years, said she was joining at an important stage in the airport's development. She said she would work with the airport's team, partners and stakeholders on its future development.
Dave Lees has been chief executive since 2018 and will remain in the role through the end of the year to support the handover. During his tenure, Bristol Airport secured planning permission to increase capacity to 12m passengers a year and delivered projects including its Public Transport Interchange.
Macquarie Asset Management acquired a majority stake in Bristol Airport earlier this year.
David Lees is speaking at AIR on 30 September