Hartsfield-Jackson’s Bheodari: ‘We’ve got to stop this revolving door’

Once again, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is looking for a new aviation commissioner.

In an exclusive interview, Balram “B” Bheodari said he informed Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens last fall that he would be stepping down on June 30 before his July birthday.

The Dickens administration announced May 2 several high-level changes in the mayor’s executive team, including the airport general manager.  The release said Jan Lennon was being named interim general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson. Several media reports made it sound as though Bheodari had been let go.

“I’m leaving on my own terms. That’s the bottom line,” Bheodari said. “I was not pushed out. I made my decision known to the mayor last year.”

Allison Fouché, the city’s chief communications officer, confirmed that sentiment in an email late Monday afternoon.

“Mayor Dickens did not push B out of the door,” she wrote in an email.

For Bheodari, it’s a matter of integrity.

On the Tuesday before the announcement of his upcoming departure, the American Association of Airport Executives awarded Bheodari was given the Distinguished Service Award — the highest honor in the aviation world. 

“Balram “B” Bheodari’s knowledge of Atlanta’s aviation landscape propelled Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport through the challenges of COVID-19 and brought the airport to new heights,” said Trebor Bannister, a spokesman for Delta Air Lines. “Delta celebrates the accomplishments made under B’s leadership during his tenure. We are proud to have a strong partnership with the City of Atlanta and look forward to supporting the Mayor’s continued focus on advancing the city’s transportation infrastructure.”

Fouché did say the city will engage a search firm to find Bheodari’s successor. It likely will do a comprehensive job study to evaluate the position’s salary and benefits.

Less than a year ago in an extensive interview, Bheodari said he would stop the revolving door of airport general managers that has plagued Hartsfield-Jackson for years. The last commissioner with any longevity was Ben DeCosta (1998-2010), who had an employment contract during the entire 12 years he served in that role.

So, what changed for Bheodari? The short answer is money, fairness and appreciation. 

Bheodari said he made his decision to step down after leaving the Atlanta City Council’s Oct. 25 transportation committee.

“I felt tired,” Bheodari said. “It felt like there were some who really didn’t appreciate or didn’t understand the enormity what we are doing.”

Hartsfield-Jackson is the busiest airport in the world — an enterprise that accounts for 63,000 direct jobs, airlines included, and a $66 billion annual economic impact. Serving as Atlanta’s aviation commissioner is one of the most important public sector jobs in the state.

Last year, the airport handled 104 million passengers, more than any other airport in the world. 

One person who does understand is Amir Farokhi, an Atlanta City Councilman who served as chair of the transportation committee until January.

“There’s no one with as much knowledge or passion for our airport as Balram Bheodari,” Farokhi wrote in an email. “No matter the issue — airline routes, concessions, wayfinding, procurement, construction timelines, peer airport practices — Mr. Bheodari offered instant expertise. He lived and breathed aviation and our airport. Indeed, he often slept there to manage the demands of the job. He will be missed.”

Farokhi, who has served on the transportation committee for seven consecutive years, then alluded to some of the issues that come with serving as Atlanta’s aviation commissioner.

“Running our airport is not for the faint of heart,” he said. “It’s a complex city within a city. Rife with its own politics, baggage — no pun intended — and challenges. One must be comfortable with the scrutiny that comes from running the world’s busiest airport; diplomatically navigating stakeholders, from staff to politicians to the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration’ to airlines, and, ultimately, being able to disagree with powerful people. All of that is a big job that requires industry skill and knowledge. We make it harder by asking someone to do it, at least for now, for a below-market salary.”

For more than a decade, the City of Atlanta has been underpaying its aviation commissioner. The annual salary is $310,000 a year, and no bonuses are given for good performance. By comparison, the general manager of the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport made more than $800,000 including bonuses.

“It’s about being appreciated and fairness,” said Bheodari, who added that it’s not just about his compensation but that of his entire team. “I cannot attract the best of the best for my next tier and the tier below them. Today, there are airports that are paying, not executive vice presidents but vice presidents, $400,000 a year. My team is seeing it out here, and people are coming after them.”

DeCosta understands the dilemma.

“Because of the Atlanta airport’s contribution to our city’s economic future, we need to attract an airport general manager with an adequate compensation package and a contract to ensure the continuity of leadership,” he said. “Since I left, there has been a revolving door.”

Zack Deming, managing partner of Diversified Search, has been involved in three of the most recent searches for Atlanta’s aviation commissioner.

“We’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed the leadership we have underneath B at Hartsfield-Jackson,” Deming said. “As the busiest passenger airport in the world, having world-class leadership is imperative. Having truly competitive compensation along with the honor and privilege of running the world’s busiest airport will go a long way in attracting the interest of top leaders.”

There are bragging rights to running Atlanta’s airport, but the danger is someone will take the job to enhance their resume as a stepping stone to getting a much higher-paying job. Bheodari’s predecessor, John Selden, spent two years at Hartsfield-Jackson before going to Saudi Arabia, where he supposedly tripled his Atlanta salary.

Bheodari said other airports have been hiring folks out of Atlanta. For example, Jerome Woodard left Hartsfield-Jackson in 2022 to become chief operating officer of the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

They’re just moving on,” Bheodari said. “What you’re picking from Atlanta is the best of the best. And they’re going to jobs that are significantly less than what they are doing with less responsibility but for a whole lot more money. And that’s where, fundamentally, I have an issue. It goes back to the scope of responsibility. It is enormous here in Atlanta.”

To make it right for his successor, Bheodari said the city needs to significantly increase salaries at the airport, and it needs to offer the aviation commissioner an employment contract like it used to do.

“We’ve got to stop this revolving door,” Bheodari said. “Atlanta leaders have to start looking at this position and make strategic decisions on a robust compensation package to put the best in the seat. If we don’t do that, you will have a caretaker. You cannot run a billion-dollar enterprise with caretaker leadership.”

Over the past 10 years, Hartsfield-Jackson has completed more than $3 billion of capital improvements, with $1 billion going to female-owned and minority-owned firms. Over the next 10 years, the airport likely will invest another $8 billion in capital improvements. “We will do all of this while maintaining our environmental stewardship and our financial stewardship,” Bheodari said. 

Because of his tenure at the airport, Bheodari provided continuity in leadership — touching almost every part of the business.

“In a sense, I was married to Hartsfield-Jackson for nearly 24 years,” Bheodari said. “You don’t do something that you truly and deeply love and walk away after 24 years without a tinge of sadness. For me, it’s not a tinge of sadness but a deep sadness because I love this airport so much. But more importantly, I love the people. I love my team members. I love the administration. I love our stakeholders. I love our airline partners. It is the respect that this airport has with all of those that makes this job so enjoyable.”

At 66, Bheodari is contemplating his next chapter. As soon as the news hit that he would be stepping down, his phone started buzzing with people wanting to talk to him about job opportunities.

“I still have a lot of rubber left in this old shoe of mine,” said Bheodari, who intends to work in the aviation industry, most likely as a consultant rather than as an aviation commissioner. “I’m not moving out of Atlanta. Atlanta is my home.”