Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has appointed Ghizlane Badawi as CEO. She had been serving as the deputy CEO since January.
“Bringing more than 16 years of dedicated service to AUS, Ms. Badawi has risen through the ranks at our airport, holding the key roles of deputy CEO, COO, and chief experience and performance officer,” the airport said in a LinkedIn post. “Her leadership has been instrumental in expanding non-stop service to over 90 destinations, consistently ranking AUS among the top airports for customer service, and spearheading a multi-billion dollar capital improvement program.”
Badawi replaced Jacqueline Yaft, who resigned in March 2023. Jim Smith, the longtime CEO of AUS who retired in 2019, served as interim CEO until Badawi’s appointment last week.
AUS is expanding rapidly, and Badawi’s skills and longtime commitment to the airport leave her positioned to optimize the airport moving forward. “Ms. Badawi’s strategic vision centers around building and optimizing facilities to meet the growing needs of Central Texas, assembling high-performing teams to deliver exceptional service, ensuring unwavering safety throughout all aspects of airport operations and construction, and actively fostering robust air service that connects Austin to the world,” the airport said.
