Airport Authority Leader to Step Down after Three Decades

Dan Carsen | December 15, 2017

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After a 34-year career at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, president and CEO Alfonso Denson will step down in early 2018.

Denson was head of the airport authority for 17 years. He oversaw upgrades to the airport terminal and the addition of a federal customs inspection station for international travelers, the only one in the state.

According to a Birmingham Airport Authority statement, Denson led projects including increasing the length of a main runway from 10,000 to 12,000 feet, expanding the aircraft parking area to 400,000 square feet, and “acquiring nearly 800 properties through the noise and environmental land acquisition program,” which the statement says was made possible by Denson obtaining more federal funding.

Last year, Denson won a Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Airport Executives.

He has a base yearly salary of $398,549, which is higher than those in similar positions, even at much larger airports. The airport board plans to hire a consultant to help with its search for a new leader.