Tributes have been paid to the man who brought Emirates flights to Newcastle Airport following his death.
David Laws, known to many as Davie, passed away on New Year’s Day, aged 67. As well as being CEO of Newcastle Airport for a decade, he spent two years championing the region as the president North East Chamber of Commerce.
Whitley Bay-born Mr Laws joined the airport in 1979 as a trainee firefighter and continued to rise through the ranks before taking on the top job in 2006. He is credited with bringing the Emirates’ direct Dubai flight to the region, which continues to contribute hugely to the region’s economy; as well as overseeing the opening of a new departure lounge in 2015 and bringing a direct United Airlines’ New York flight to the North East which operated for two years.
Mr Laws was crowned the Journal’s North East Business Executive of the Year in 2015. A year after leaving Newcastle Airport in April 2016, he was appointed chief executive of Leeds Bradford Airport; a role which he held until his retirement in 2019.
Mr Laws was also a qualified football referee and spent two decades refereeing at the top level in football. He kept up refereeing even when working at the airport, with his on-field career seeing him work with Brian Clough, Sir Bobby Robson, and Alan Shearer.
A spokesperson for Newcastle Airport said: “We are deeply saddened to hear the news that Davie Laws has passed away.
“Davie’s career at Newcastle Airport spanned over 30 years, during which time he progressed from Firefighter to the role of Chief Executive, a position he held until April 2016. Davie will be greatly missed by colleagues across the Airport who knew and worked with him, and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time.”
A spokesperson for the North East Chamber of Commerce said: “We are saddened today to hear that David Laws, who was a chief executive at Newcastle International Airport and served as Chamber president has passed away. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
“David was passionate about the North East, his 37 years of service at the airport saw the introduction of Emirates’ Dubai service which continues to provide vital connections for the North East’s economy.
“Becoming Chamber president in 2013 David highlighted the need for the North East to work across boundaries and sectors to create a common voice and strategy to transform the region. This message continues to resonate today and we thank David for his service to the Chamber and the region.”