NEW HAVEN – As Tweed-New Haven Airport enters a critical part of its expansion, it will have to do so without Executive Director Tom Rafter next year.
The Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority (TNHAA) and Tweed-New Haven Airport today formally announced the retirement timeline for Rafter. He is the third executive director in seven years to step down.
Rafter, who came out of retirement in January 2023 to lead Tweed, replaced the state Comptroller Sean Scanlon who took over for Tim Larson who left to head up the state Office of Higher Education.
In 2022 Rafter had planned to retire to Florida after a 10-year run as manager of Nantucket Memorial Airport and three decades at Atlantic City International Airport.
“It has been an honor to lead the Tweed-New Haven Airport Authority and work with such a dedicated team of professionals,” Rafter said. “I’m proud of how far the airport has come and confident it’s well-positioned for continued success. Ensuring a smooth transition will allow the Authority and its partners to maintain momentum as Tweed enters its next exciting chapter.”
The retirement was first announced during the TNHAA board meeting in August. He will retire in 2026 at the conclusion of his current contract, following a planned transition period. The authority’s board has initiated the process to identify and recruit the next Executive Director to lead the organization through its next phase of growth and development.
The authority has approved an agreement for Rafter to assist with the transition and onboarding of his successor, ensuring continuity in operations and oversight. The executive director role is now open for applications. The position will oversee the authority’s governance, compliance, and strategic partnership with Avports HVN LLC and The New HVN LLC, advancing the airport’s growth and community engagement initiatives.
Under Rafter’s leadership, Tweed-New Haven Airport has advanced through one of the most dynamic periods in its 94-year history. Passenger traffic has grown from fewer than 30,000 in 2021 to more than 700,000 in the past year. The airport has also achieved significant milestones, with the design of the new East Terminal now 70% complete and progress continuing on the runway extension project.
“Tom’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding Tweed-New Haven Airport through an era of tremendous growth and opportunity,” said Robert Reed, TNHAA chair. “I am grateful that over the next months he will continue to lend his experience, wisdom, and steady hand to the airport.”
Michael Jones, CEO of The New HVN, enjoyed Rafter’s leadership in his three years at Tweed.
“Tom and I came to the airport around the same time, and I have been lucky to be able to lean on his wealth of knowledge, steady hand, and passion for aviation through a period of remarkable growth at HVN,” Jones said. “I will miss having him here at HVN, yet on behalf of the entire Tweed-New Haven Airport team, we are deeply grateful for his service and wish him the very best as he begins his next chapter.”
