Atlanta Airport Finds New General As Mayor Strives To Modernize Facility

Ricky Smith previously worked as executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has named Ricky Smith, previously executive director of the Maryland Aviation Administration, as its new general manager.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Smith will begin his new duties leading the world’s busiest airport on April 2. He will replace the airport’s interim GM, Jan Lennon, who has been in the role since last summer. Lennon will aid in Smith’s transition to leadership as executive deputy general manager.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport needs dynamic leadership to drive the continued growth we’ve seen over the past years, and Mr. Smith’s extensive experience will help us reach more milestones in the years to come,” Mayor Andre Dickens said in a press release.

Smith oversaw the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and aviation activities across Maryland since 2015. He also chairs the Airport Minority Advisory Council, a trade association that promotes minority participation in the field.

His appointment comes after an eight-month search for a long-term replacement for Bolhram Beaudari, who stepped down as Dickens made key changes to his cabinet mid-term. Finding a suitable leader proved difficult as many believed the initial pay, a little over $300,000, was insufficient.

Smith’s pay remains unknown, but in a statement, Smith said he was” looking forward to working with the very talented and dedicated professionals at the airport and the entire City of Atlanta.”

“We’re trying to get a new general manager that sets the course for the future. This metro area is booming. It’s growing, and the airline industry is dynamic,” Dickens said. “We want somebody that has a lens on cargo being a big part of Atlanta’s future growth, using the airport overnight.”

For constant travelers and subsequent critics of the airport’s issues, Dickens also hopes Smith will tackle long lines at Transportation Security Authority check-ins. .