The chief executive of Glasgow Airport who oversaw the response to the 2007 terror attack announced he is stepping down from his role - and revealed watching stag dos enjoying themselves was the best part of his job.
Derek Provan has been chief executive of AGS Airports, which owns Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports, since April 2018.
He will leave his role in March 2023 and said it was 'the best job he ever had', insisting that nobody flying from Glasgow had missed a flight because of queues.
Passenger numbers in 2022 are expected to be about 70 per cent of those in 2019, at an estimated six million this year compared to 8.8 million in 2019 - while airport bosses expect numbers to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2025.
Mr Provan said: “I suppose the thing that always brings a smile to my face – you are always bound to see a stag party or a hen party – men dressed as brides is a pretty normal experience at Glasgow Airport."
He started out as a firefighter at the airport nearly 25 years ago, and led the operational response to the terrorist attack at Glasgow Airport on June 30, 2007.
READ MORE: The crime story of the Glasgow Airport terror attack
Terrorist Bilal Abdullah was jailed for a minimum of 32 years for conspiracy to commit murder after driving a Jeep into the airport terminal, while co-conspirator Kafeel Ahmed died of burns injuries.
Mr Provan was able to oversee the reopening of the airport within 24 hours and praised the unflappable spirit of Glaswegians.
He said: “The car used in the attack was still wedged into the front of the building but people were walking past, taking photographs over the hoarding screening the vehicle.”
He said a quarter of a decade had flown by, and it would have been an easier decision to stay in his role.
Mr Provan added: “I certainly never came into Glasgow Airport as a firefighter thinking I would leave it as a chief executive.
"It is 25 years – it sounds like a long time. I can say with all honesty it feels like a couple of years.
"I love the airports. I love the industry. It has been phenomenal.
"I have always said every job I have left has been the best job I have ever had.
"That remains true today.
“This is my decision now to leave the business and I have to say it is probably one of the most difficult decisions I have made, primarily because the easiest decision would be to stay.
“I love AGS, the business, and I love the people that work within it.
"That is what makes it so difficult to make the decision.
“When I leave, it will be almost 25 years since I started.
"For me, that seemed like a natural milestone, to pursue new challenges outside executive management.
"If I was staying in executive management, I would stay in AGS.”
Chairman of AGS Lena Wilson said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Derek for his leadership and unwavering commitment to AGS.
"Not only has he navigated AGS through the recent downturn which brought much of our industry to a standstill, he has fostered extremely positive relationships with local and national government and, perhaps more importantly, with all our employees.
“Derek is one of the most talented leaders I have had the privilege to work with and we wish him well in his next exciting chapter.
"We are grateful he has agreed to remain in post as we work to appoint a successor.”
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