Colin Matthews has announced he will stand down as chief executive officer of Heathrow later this year.
He will be leaving the airport, which he joined six years ago, as it enters the final stages of its battle to win permission to build a third runway.
In a statement released today, Matthews said he would go after the opening of Terminal 2 in June.
He said: "It has been a privilege to serve as CEO of Heathrow for the last six years. With a strong leadership team, the company continues to raise standards of passenger service, improve efficiency and reduce costs.
"The opening of Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal in June this year is a further important step in the transformation of Heathrow and long term prospects are bright following the decision of the Airports Commission to shortlist our proposal for a new runway. So once Terminal 2 has opened later this year, I have decided the time is right to pass on the baton."
Heathrow chairman Sir Nigel Rudd said the airport had already started the search for a successor with the aim of having a new CEO in place after Terminal 2 has opened. "Colin has done a fantastic job of improving Heathrow for passengers and will remain as Chief Executive until his successor is in place to ensure a smooth transition."
