Joost Meijs has been appointed as CEO of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST), starting 1st October 2024, with Meijs succeeding Jonas van Stekelenburg as director of NV HBLM.
NV HBLM includes the operating companies Maastricht Aachen Airport BV and Maastricht Aachen Airport Management & Infra.
The Supervisory Board has appointed Joost Meijs due to his extensive leadership experience and track record in the aviation industry; currently, Joost Meijs is the CEO of Aruba Airport, and before that Eindhoven Airport.
The shareholders and works council support his appointment.
Under Joost ́s leadership from 2008 until 2019, Eindhoven Airport developed into a mature airport in the Dutch market.
Meijs created, in an open dialogue with the external stakeholders, the foundation for a sustainable development of the airport since then.
From 2019 until now, Meijs, as CEO of Aruba Airport, has navigated the airport through the pandemic and successfully implemented a new corporate strategy with his team.
This strategy aims to make Aruba one of the safest, sustainable, and future-proofed airports in South America and the Caribbean; the first phase of Gateway 2030, an extensive USD300 million plus investment programme, was recently delivered.
Meijs played a key role in establishing the Dutch Caribbean Cooperation of Airports (DCCA), which aims to improve the safety, connectivity, and sustainability of the airports in the region.
This initiative resulted in the launch of the first electric plane in the Caribbean airspace from Aruba Airport in 2022.
“Joost Meijs brings great experience and we are confident that he will build on the airport’s reputation as a high-performing and innovative airport,” said Frans Weekers, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of NV HBLM.
“Joost has a first-class track record of airport management, having previously worked at Eindhoven Airport, and Aruba Airport where he played a pivotal role in implementing long-term growth strategies. “We welcome Joost and look forward to him continuing Jonas van Stekelenburg’s good work in ensuring Maastricht Aachen Airport’s future direction and sustainable credentials.”
Meijs’ appointment comes after a successful start of the year for the airport, including new (cargo) airlines like Pegasus Airlines and ROM Cargo, Airport Carbon Accreditation level 3, and facilitating Europe’s first ever international electric flight for members of the public.
“I am looking forward to starting working on the ambitions as have been formulated in the strategic plans and doing this in a joint effort with all colleagues and the external stakeholders of the airport,” said Joost Meijs, incoming CEO of Maastricht Aachen Airport. “Maastricht Aachen Airport has the potential to become a healthy, future oriented and sustainable airport. I have every confidence that it will work.”
Meijs succeeds Jonas van Stekelenburg, who has been interim CEO since the 1st September, 2023 and will remain involved as an advisor at Maastricht Aachen Airport until the start of 2025.
