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A former Tigerair chief executive credited with overhauling the airline’s male-dominated executive team will be tasked with ensuring Melbourne Airport’s rail link gets built on time, following a series of rows between stakeholders.
The Victorian state government said Merren McArthur would be tasked with creating a “collaborative and constructive environment” among members of the newly established steering committee, which will include senior figures from the airport, state and federal governments.
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The news comes after the Victorian government and Melbourne Airport resolved a long-running dispute over whether the project should include an overground or underground station, which contributed to years of delays for the project.
“Melbourne Airport is a vital transport gateway for all Victorians,” McArthur said. “I am delighted to be appointed as the independent Chair for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL) Steering Committee.
“I look forward to working with all parties to support them in reaching an agreement on the timeline and pathway for the delivery of MARL”.
McArthur was credited with overhauling the culture at Tigerair during her time as CEO and making it one of the most diverse carriers in Australia.
However, in an interview with Australian Aviation in 2022, she admitted that the management team she inherited in the role “didn’t understand” how to work under a female CEO.
By the end of her tenure, though, 8 per cent of the airline’s pilots were women, far above the international average, and the senior leadership team shifted from being nearly all male to 40 per cent women.
She later stated that she believed the change was a result of adapting her leadership style to encourage her teams to collaborate more effectively.
Those negotiating skills will be much needed to oversee the Melbourne Airport rail link project, which was delayed by a further four years following a spat between the airport and government over its design.
The airport favoured an underground station while the government preferred an above-ground “sky rail” model. The airport eventually capitulated, saying in July last year it would support plans for an above-ground link after the federal government’s mediator, Neil Scales, sided with the state government.
The airport rail link will have three stations – the interchange at Sunshine, a new station serving Keilor East and the Airport West precinct, and the airport itself. Passengers will be able to travel straight through from the airport to the city.
Work has already begun on the interchange at Sunshine Station, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pledged an additional $2 billion in federal funding to bring the project to completion.
“Rebuilding Sunshine Station is the first stage of delivering Melbourne Airport Rail, and it will help pave the way for more services across Melbourne’s west,” Victorian Transport Minister Sonya Kilkenny said.
“The appointment of Ms McArthur as Chair of the Steering Committee is another step forward in delivering this vital project.”
