Heathrow Managing Director Leaves BAA

BAA's Managing Director of London's Heathrow Airport, who held overall responsibility for Terminal 5, has left the company with immediate effect.

Mark Bullock was responsible for assuring cost, time, quality and safety at the terminal, which opened disastrously in late March - with hundreds of flights cancelled and thousands of bags lost.

BAA says Bullock is leaving as part of a "structural change" previously announced by the operator's new Chief Executive, Colin Matthews, who joined the company on 1 April.

Matthews says Bullock led the airport through a "particularly challenging" period.

Bullock will be replaced by Mike Brown, the current Chief Operating Officer at London Underground, who will join the group in September.

Bullock joined BAA in January 2004 as T5 Programme Assurance Director, where he was responsible for the "finance, commercial and risk management functions" at the new terminal.

He took overall responsibility for Heathrow following the departure last year of previous chief, Tony Douglas.

Last month, British Airways announced that Gareth Kirkwood, the Director of Operations, and David Noyes, the Director of Customer Services, would be leaving the company.

By Elizabeth Clifford-Marsh