Shanghai Airport's 48-Year-Old General Manager Resigns Abruptly After Just 9 Months in Office

On October 25, it was reported that Huang Zhenglin, the General Manager of Shanghai International Airport Co., Ltd. 600009, has resigned from all positions within the company for personal reasons, less than a year into his tenure.

On the evening of October 24, Shanghai International Airport announced that Huang applied to resign from his roles as a director, a member of the board’s committees, and the General Manager due to personal reasons. Following his resignation, Huang held no positions in the company or its subsidiaries.

The company has appointed Deputy General Manager Li Zhengjia to perform the duties of the General Manager. According to regulations, Huang’s resignation does not reduce the membership of the board below the legal minimum and takes effect upon the delivery of his resignation letter to the board.

Notably, Huang Zhenglin, who was appointed General Manager on January 26, 2025, served for only nine months before resigning on October 24. Media reports indicate that his phone is currently off, and several insiders mentioned they hadn't seen him for several days. He has also not responded to inquiries from reporters made a few days prior. Huang was notably absent from the recently concluded North Bund International Shipping Forum, where the “North Bund International Aviation Forum” was co-hosted by China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai International Airport.

Born in April 1977, Huang previously held several positions, including General Manager of the Human Resources Department at Shanghai Airport (Group) Co., Ltd., Secretary of the Party Committee, and Vice-General Manager of Shanghai Airport. He took over as General Manager in January 2025. In addition to his responsibilities at the listed company, Huang also served as the General Manager of Pudong International Airport and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee.

According to the 2024 annual report, Huang received a pre-tax compensation of 1.0267 million yuan from the listed company last year. The positions of Deputy General Manager and General Manager have seen frequent changes this year. In January, former director and General Manager Zhang Yongdong retired. In March, former Deputy General Manager Jiang Xinshi also left for work-related reasons. With Huang's departure, the General Manager position is vacant once again.

Li Zhengjia, who is currently acting in the role, is also a senior executive with extensive experience. The 2024 annual report shows that he not only serves as a Deputy General Manager of Shanghai Airport but is also the Secretary and Chairman of the Board of Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport. His career has spanned various sectors, including the development of the Hongqiao business area, investment in auxiliary industries, and airport management. Last year, Li's pre-tax annual salary was 1.0152 million yuan.

Shanghai International Airport was established in May 1997 by Shanghai Airport (Group) Co., Ltd. as the sole sponsor and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in February 1998. The company provides ground services for domestic and international airlines as well as passengers. The controlling shareholder is Shanghai Airport (Group) Co., Ltd., and the actual controller is the Shanghai State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

According to the semi-annual report, Shanghai Airport achieved revenue of 6.353 billion yuan in the first half of the year, a year-on-year increase of 4.78%. The net profit attributable to shareholders reached 1.044 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 28.14%.

As of the market close on October 24, Shanghai Airport's stock price was reported at 31.37 yuan per share, down 0.03%, reflecting a 6.66% decline year-to-date.