THE Ministry of Transport has announced the appointment of James G. Howes as the new general manager of the Bermuda International Airport.

Mr. Howes, who took over the post at the beginning of this month, has 30 years' experience in aviation and is a licensed commercial pilot.

"As general manager of the Bermuda International Airport, Mr. Howes is responsible for providing and managing airport facilities and services and ensuring that these are used for safe air travel for the public," said a Government spokesperson. "He is also required to develop programmes that attract commercial and retail activities to the airport and promote improved business performance." A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Mr. Howes holds a Master's of Business Administration in Transportation Management from the University of Maryland.

He served as Commissioner of Aviation in New York between 1975 and 1980 and is a former US Air Force captain.

Prior to taking on this post, Mr. Howes served as executive director of St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, Florida, a 2,000-acre facility with the largest US Coast Guard Air Station in the world.

As director, Mr. Howes increased air cargo and passenger traffic tenfold to 1.1 million passengers annually.