Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has made changes to its executive committee, with the chief executive officers (CEO) at Manchester and London Stansted airports swapping jobs.

Ken O’Toole has led Manchester Airport since February 2013, and was appointed chief executive in April 2016, and is executive director of MAG.

He will be responsible for providing additional runway capacity at London Stansted Airport in his new role as CEO.

The airport intends to apply for planning permission to make full use of its existing runway, and O’Toole will lead the airport through the process and focus on developing the route network, building on recent additions including scheduled flights to New York and Boston.

Andrew Cowan, who has been the chief executive of Stansted Airport since April 2016, will join Manchester Airport as CEO, overseeing the start of construction on the £1 billion Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, and Cowan will be in charge of cementing the airport’s position as the UK’s gateway in the North.

The changes will come into effect in September, and MAG chief executive Charlie Cornish says: “I know that Ken and Andrew will successfully develop their airports further as they play an even bigger role providing the global connectivity and runway capacity that this country needs in the coming years.”

“Both airports are about to embark on significant periods of development and investment, and Ken and Andrew are the right people to lead them during this critical time.”

At the same time Collette Roche will take up a new role of chief of staff, with responsibility for shaping and overseeing the Group’s long-term strategy and the leadership of corporate functions including HR, IT, strategy, procurement, engineering services and health & safety.