PAUL HUGHES

Chief Executive Officer
Newcastle Airport Limited
Bachelor of Commerce, 1984

Paul has dedicated his career to the development and betterment of public services and amenities in our region. As a former manager of Community and Recreation Services at Port Stephens Council, he developed a financial strategy focussing on non-traditional sources of income through business and property development activities. This allowed the council to instigate major projects which would otherwise have been unsustainable.

Applying this approach in his current position as CEO of Newcastle Airport, Paul has been able to grow passenger numbers by 58% to more than 1.2 million per annum, and undertaken more than AU$40 million worth of project work to prepare the airport for the next stage of growth. With a 20 year Master Plan the impact of Paul’s innovative strategies will be felt by the region for decades to come. Working closely with aviation, transport and infrastructure organisations, Paul continues to be a leading advocate and lobbyist for the region.