Former Airtours chief dies of cancer
Thursday, 09 Jan, 2009
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Former Airtours group company secretary David Burns has died aged 52 after a two year battle against Stomach cancer.
Burns, who joined the company in 1987, was influential in the development of Airtours from a small regional tour operator in to one of the largest vertically integrated travel businesses in the world.
He said of his time at Airtours: "When I joined, Airtours had just floated. There was incredible energy.
“In 1991, we bought an airline. The following year we bought Pickford’s Travel. In six months in 1993 we rebranded 530 shops nationwide into Going Places travel agencies. It was exciting, fantastically interesting."
Burns went on to become group company secretary, working on several takeovers, before heading Airtours’ accommodation division in 1998, which included four cruise ship and more than 40 hotels.
His most high profile role came in 2000 when he joined the Football League as chief executive for two years.
He then worked for Trevor Hemmings’ extensive leisure empire and with responsibilities included Blackpool Tower, most of the piers around the UK coastline and a variety of hotels, leisure arcades and bars.
In 2005, Burns moved to the venture capital backed Travelsphere, based in Leicestershire, as joint managing director.
He was instrumental in integrating and turning around the performance of a newly acquired division, Page & Moy.
The entire business was subsequently sold to Electra and Partners in 2006.
Following surgery for cancer, in 2007 he was appointed chief executive of the newly built ski and leisure complex in Manchester, The Chill Factore, where he worked until a return of cancer last autumn.
Long-term friend and former travel industry colleague Matthew Cheetham said: “David had more energy and enthusiasm than anyone I’ve ever known.
“I met him at the airport one morning at 5.45am for a flight to Holland and he had already done a five-mile run as he was training for a marathon.
“That evening, the full extent of his strict training regime was revealed as over dinner we shared several bottles of wine."
Former Airtours group managing director Harry Coe said: “David played a key role in many acquisitions.
“At the time we were acquiring SAS Leisure Group, David who played a central role in the negotiations, had been accepted as a participant in the London Marathon.
“He was therefore faced with a diary clash of significant proportions and was about to cancel his appearance in the Marathon when it was agreed that if he flew Stockholm to London on the morning of the Marathon and made the return journey immediately the race was over then his absence from the negotiations would be acceptable!
“It is to David’s credit that he achieved a very respectable time in the Marathon and played a full part in the negotiations the following day, with only the odd complaint of stiffness!”
Burns lived in Hale, Cheshire, with his wife Jane and their two children, Annabel 16 and Roddy 14.
*A service will be held on January 21 at 14.00 at Altrincham Crematorium, White House Lane, Dunham Massey, WA 14 5RH
No flowers but any donations can be made to Macmillan Cancer Support, c/o Ms T Foley, Macmillan Cancer Support, Wythenshawe Hospital, Wythenshawe, Manchester M23 9LT
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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