STEVE Gill admits he's hit the ground running in his new role.
With just a few weeks in the role of director of Durham Tees Valley Airport and Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster under his belt, he has arrived at the airport at a difficult time in its history.
Durham Tees Valley Airport has lost a number of routes in recent years such as Ryanair withdrawing services.
And only last month the airport was hit by the collapse of travel operator Holidays 4U which went into administration.
The firm flew from Teesside to Turkey.
But the 46-year-old is determined to turn around the future of the site securing new flight routes and pledging to do everything he can to "get more passengers through the door".
"They're our priority," says Steve, who is married to Julie and has three grown-up children, Christopher, 24, Rebecca, 23, and Harriet, 17.
Steve says that within a 45-minute drive there are thousands of people who could use the airport and 40% of the population in the North-east lives closer to Durham Tees Valley Airport than Newcastle Airport.
"But this airport is only managing 10% of that travelling passengers market," says Steve, who has 30 years' experience in the aviation industry and extensive expertise in airport planning and management. "There is a large market and potential that we're not creatively servicing.
"This is a turnaround opportunity.
"We have had a couple of difficult years but all UK airports have had a difficult couple of years."
Before Steve took his new role he worked for Peel Airports, which runs DTV Airport, as a group development and facilities manager from 1999 to 2007 before becoming managing director at City Airport (Barton) Ltd, for four years.
Steve's career started at British Aerospace under a technical apprenticeship.
It gave him a start in the industry while he moved up through the academic education system.
He moved up the ranks and was a site development manager when he left the company in 1996. Then the ambitious dad-of-three worked as facilities manager at Liverpool Airport.
"From a very young age I was hooked on aviation," explains Steve.
"It's a hugely dynamic industry."
Now Steve is excited at the challenge ahead of him and is determined to secure the future of the airport.
"It's a bright future for Durham Tees Valley Airport," says Steve, who adds there are no plans to change the name of the airport back to Teesside Airport at present.
"We have Newmarket Holidays on board starting new routes to Italy and Croatia in May/June next year.
"We are talking to airlines in the UK, Europe and across the world. A large team is going out to Berlin soon."
This month Cobham Flight Inspection, based at Durham Tees Valley Airport, secured a pounds 10m deal with the Ministry of Defence. They will carry out flight inspection services for the MoD over a minimum four-year period.
Steve wants to increase the number of cargo flights but says passengers are his priority at present.
The airport currently has 90 commercial - scheduled and charter - flights per week, not including business jets and private flights and 153,000 passengers to date this year.
He says he is aware that many potential customers are confused at what flights the airport currently offers and this is a problem they are currently addressing. Meetings with local travel agents and local authorities are being arranged.
"The airport has massive support from the region," says Steve.
"What we want is routes that are viable and necessary.
"It's not the airport that will be successful in its own right, it's the region that has to ensure its success."
FACTFILE Name: Steve Gill Age: 46 Family life: From Bristol, now lives in Warrington but looking to relocate between Teesside and Doncaster. Married to Julie with three children, Christopher, 24, Rebecca, 23, and Harriet, 17.
Education: MSc in Airport Planning & Management, 1998-2002, at Loughborough University. Favourite holiday destination: He loves the Caribbean and enjoyed a recent holiday in Mexico (which are reached via Amsterdam from DTV Airport, he adds) Hand luggage essentials: All the documentation needed for the trip - passport, insurance information, flights and transfers etc.
