BAA, the UK's largest airport operator, has appointed Sir Nigel Rudd as non-executive chairman.

Sir Nigel, who is also currently deputy chairman of Barclays, is a highly regarded businessman and serial non-executive director.

The moves comes a year after Grupo Ferrovial, the Spanish construction group, led a consortium of investors which took the owner of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports, formerly known as the British Airports Authority, private.

BAA has faced a flood of criticism in recent months, over delays at its airports and the poor state of facilities at Heathrow. Kitty Ussher, the City minister, has warned that the poor state of Heathrow could have a negative impact on the UK's financial services industry, while Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, has said that the airport – the UK's largest – "shames" the capital.

Sir Nigel succeeds Rafael del Pino, president of Ferrovial, who stepped in as interim chairman when Marcus Agius left the post to join Barclays in December 2006.

Sir Nigel said today: "We need to transform Britain's biggest airports throughout the coming years. I believe it can be done and I am determined to get the results our passengers deserve."

In a statement this morning he described his new appointment as "the most challenging role I have ever undertaken". He was chairman of Boots from 2003 until July this year, overseeing the £9 billion sale of the company to the private equity giant KKR.

BAA also announced that Lord Stevens, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, had been appointed as a non-executive director of the board. Lord Stevens, 64, led the recent inquiry into alleged corruption in football and the investigation into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Today's appointments come just hours after Donald Dowds, the director of safety, became the latest in a line of leading executives who have left the company since the £10.1 billion takeover last year.

The Times reported yesterday that BAA, which owns seven airports in the UK, was planning to cut as many as 2,000 jobs. It is thought that Ferrovial may be planning to sell one or more of its airports.

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