Alicante-Elche Airport will have a new director from 1 November. Laura Navarro Villanueva is taking over from Tomás Melgar Noguera, who moves to the Balearics to manage the Palma de Mallorca Airport.
Laura Navarro graduated with an advanced degree in industrial engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Cranfield (United Kingdom) in aviation management. Since 2014, she has been running the management office at Alicante-Elche Airport.
Initially, after joining Aena in 2006 at Alicante-Elche Airport, Laura was attached to the maintenance and works department, with responsibility for the maintenance department between 2011 and 2013. Subsequently, she became project manager of the Levante Project Plan (2009-2010).
Announcing the appointment, Aena noted that, as head of the management office, Laura had stood out for her coordination of the airport’s various departments, and in strengthening relations with local entities.
Aeronautics engineer Tomás Melgar had been director of Alicante-Elche Airport since 2017. During his time running the airport, he oversaw the first major remodelling of the terminal building, eight years after its inauguration.
He prioritised the passenger experience and achieved recognition from the ACI (International Airport Council) as the best European airport in its category of the 2018 Airport Service Quality Awards.
He had previously worked at Palma de Mallorca Airport from 1994 (when he joined Aena) until 2008, before being appointed director of Menorca Airport in 2008.
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