The Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA) board of directors has had a facelift.

Former Cayman Islands Fire Service chief, Kirkland Nixon, will be the new chairman of the CIAA board. Mr. Nixon was a previous member of both the airports authority and CIAA boards.

Thomas Guyton has been appointed deputy board chairman. Mr. Guyton was a longtime airline pilot and former Cayman Airways chief executive.

Other board members include Joel Jefferson, Nathaniel Tibbetts, Stran Bodden and Bruce Smith.

No longer serving on the board are former chairman Richard Arch, deputy chairman Steve McField and directors Frank Flowers, Roy Grant, Larry Bryan, Arnold Berry, Jewel Hydes and Langlie Powery.

Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell said it will be a challenging time for the CIAA.

“They have the challenge to basically build three airports,” he said. “The challenges to that board are significant.”

In announcing Mr. Arch’s resignation last month the Deputy Premier said it was part of the process of a new government coming into office and had nothing to do with the ongoing situation at the airports authority.

The ongoing situation had included the CIAA’s chief financial officer, Shelly Ware, leaving last year and CIAA chief executive, Jeremy Jackson, being terminated in March. The previous CIAA board had instigated an expenses inquiry.

Auditor General, Alastair Swarbrick has warned the CIAA board had overstepped its powers creating risk that its decisions could be conflicted or corrupt. He also pointed out possible conflicts of interest that included details of their own companies’ contracts with the airport system not being correctly recorded in the CIAA’s financial statements.

Mr Kirkconnell said, “The new board will look at the overall operations of the CIAA, so it will be their mandate to review how it operates.”