A seven-strong team of local professionals have been appointed to serve as members of the newly created Bermuda Airport Authority.

The new Bermuda Government airport quango will be chaired by Mark Fields, retired general manager of Sol Bermuda, while Lester Nelson will take on the position of chief executive officer.

Mr Nelson has more than 25 years of experience in aviation and business management and was the first Bermudian manager of Air Operations.

The BAA’s memberships will also include Judith Hall-Bean, former assistant secretary to the Cabinet, Andrew Parsons, retired president of Belco, Robert Steynor, retired senior vice-president of fuels, logistics, environment and safety at Belco, Ian MacIntyre, the director of the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation until his retirement in 2008, and Marshall Minors, vice-president for Facilities Management, Engineering Services, Property Management and Hotel Services for the Bermuda Hospitals Board.

The BAA will be tasked with ensuring the interests of the Bermuda Government and Bermuda are protected and that the airport operator and vendors are held accountable to the standards set out in their contractual obligations.

The quango will take on the responsibility of selected, retained Government services such as air traffic control operations, meteorological services, airport fire and rescue services and ground electronics, which are currently the responsibility of the Department of Airport Operations. It will also regulate passenger fees.