OREANDA-NEWS. June 24, 2014. Miguel Southwell was confirmed as the new General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world’s busiest and most efficient airport. His nomination by Mayor Kasim Reed in May was approved by the Atlanta City Council with a unanimous 13-0 vote.

“I thank Mayor Reed and the members of the Atlanta City Council for giving me the opportunity to continue to guide Hartsfield-Jackson toward even greater success as we work to complete the airport master plan and grow our cargo business,” Southwell said. “I believe the primary purpose of an airport is to serve as the main economic development tool for the surrounding community and, working closely with the mayor and Council, we will strive to attract more businesses and jobs to Atlanta.

“I’m confident that Miguel Southwell is the right executive to continue Hartsfield-Jackson’s dominance as the world’s busiest airport, and grow its capabilities as a leading global cargo hub,” Mayor Reed said. “His experience in Miami, and prior experience in Atlanta, is the right fit to carry out my vision for our airport to be the nation’s leader in the logistics and air cargo space.”

Southwell had been interim general manager since January, when Louis Miller retired after serving three years in the post. Previously he worked at Hartsfield-Jackson from 1990 to 2001 in various roles, including interim assistant general manager. He returned to the Atlanta Airport in 2013 as the deputy general manager of commercial operations. Prior to rejoining the City, Southwell was the deputy director of business retention and development for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department in Florida.

In this role, Southwell will be tasked with rolling out and initiating the Airport's new master plan that will guide Hartsfield-Jackson’s development path through 2030; completing the expansion of the airport's industry-leading USD500 million concessions program; executing Mayor Reed’s mission to make the airport and Atlanta the logistics hub of the Western hemisphere; and growing international air service to help Hartsfield-Jackson become more than just a hub for air transit, but a major global hub for commerce and economic opportunity.

Southwell is a graduate of Portland State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Management in 1986. He later earned an MBA in International Business at the City University of New York (Baruch). Southwell has also served as an adjunct professor at Georgia State University where he taught a number of transportation management courses. He served for six years on the World Governing Board of Airports Council International, is the immediate past-president of its Latin America & Caribbean Region and currently serves as president of ACI Fund which finances training for airport professionals in developing countries. ACI is the world’s official association of airports with over 1,700 members worldwide.

The airport general manager reports to the City of Atlanta’s chief operating officer.