Few people are aware that Deborah Flint, a Black woman, is the CEO of LAWA, which owns and runs both LAX and Van Nuys Airports, two of the biggest and busiest airports in the nation.
Since taking over as CEO in 2015, Flint has implemented significant changes to improve the travelling experience to and from Los Angeles, California.
In order to head LAWA and transform Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) into world-class airports, Deborah was chosen by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti in June 2015. And throughout the more than 4 years she served as a leader, she succeeded in doing just that!
“Deborah is an extraordinary leader whose ingenuity, patience, and uncommon commitment have helped bring LAX to the doorstep of transformational change,” said Mayor Garcetti in a statement. The contracts and groundbreakings for the Automated People Mover train and other cutting-edge facilities, as well as the formation of the team that will construct the airport of the future to welcome the world in 2028, have all been started by her.
Deborah oversaw the $14 billion capital improvement programme that includes the Intermodal Transportation Facility West, an automated people mover train, a consolidated rent-a-car facility, a new home for the airport police, and the nearly finished Midfield Satellite Concourse.
She primarily focused on initiatives that would significantly enhance the travelling experience for passengers through innovation, technology, and sustainability. She has also received recognition for her effective leadership, which resulted in the implementation of a cooperative, structured, and responsible decision-making process.
Deborah will quit her post in Los Angeles in April 2020 to become the president and chief executive officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, which runs Canada’s busiest and biggest airport, Toronto Pearson.
As a Canadian-born airport administrator, Flint stated in a statement, “It is bittersweet to be leaving LAWA, but I am looking forward to this homecoming and to managing Toronto Pearson, a growing and prominent star on the world airport scene.
She continued, “It has been my honour to sign the contracts, put shovels in the ground, and implement robust oversight programs for some of the most ambitious projects at any airport in the world and in Los Angeles history. I look forward to watching the amazing LAWA team bring these projects to fruition and truly achieve our vision of gold-standard airports.”
