Commissioner E - Airports Commission, Chairman, and Chair

Sir John Armitt CBE FREng FICE

Biography

Sir John Armitt:

  • is Senior Vice President of the Institution of Civil Engineers
  • is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Institution of Civil Engineers and City & Guilds of London Institute
  • has received honorary doctorates from the universities of Portsmouth, Birmingham, Reading and Warwick
  • was awarded the CBE in 1996 for his contribution to the rail industry and a knighthood in 2012 for services to engineering and construction

In September 2013 the Armitt Review, his independent review of long term infrastructure planning in the UK, was published.

He has previously held roles as:

  • Chairman of the National Express Group, 2013 to 2022
  • Chairman of City & Guilds, 2012 to 2021
  • Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, 2007 to 2014
  • Chairman of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, 2007 to 2012
  • Chief Executive of Network Rail from 2002 to 2007, Railtrack plc from 2001 to 2002 and Costain from 1997 to 2001
  • Chief Executive of Union Railways, the company responsible for development of the high speed Channel Tunnel Rail Link, 1993 to 1997
  • Chairman of the Laing International and Civil Engineering Divisions, 1986 to 1993

Commissioner E - Airports Commission

Responsibilities are:

  • submitting a report to the government by the end of 2013 identifying and recommending options to the government for maintaining the UK’s status as an international hub for aviation
  • recommending to the government immediate actions to improve the use of existing runway capacity in the next 5 years – consistent with credible long-term options
  • submitting a final report to the government by summer 2015 assessing the environmental, economic and social costs and benefits of various solutions to increase airport capacity
  • considering operational, commercial and technical viability

Airports Commission

Chairman

The Chairman has oversight of all the ODA’s activities and heads the Board, which is responsible for exercising effective strategic leadership of the Authority.

Olympic Delivery Authority

Chair

National Infrastructure Commission

Previous roles in government

  • Deputy Chair
    • 2015 to 2018