End of an era…

Next week I retire! Everyone tells me I’ll be as busy as ever but it’s time for me to move on from what has been an enjoyable and rewarding career in the fabulous industry that is aviation. My wonderful colleagues at MIDAS Aviation don’t quite believe that I’m stopping and think that after a summer off I’ll be hankering for that metaphorical whiff of kerosene, and only too pleased to return to work. Never say never but…

My first steps in aviation were the chance to work for the iconic airline that was Pan Am, and which I only later recognised to be the truly international company it was, at least in terms of the diversity of staff and the respect they had for one another. I worked at Vancouver International Airport just as it set about showing the world how an airport could grasp control of its own destiny. I ran the forecasting, economics and statistics at IATA when they still had a London-based team. And I’ve spent many years working in air service development, mostly as a consultant in one shape or another.

As a Founding Partner in MIDAS Aviation for the last 8 years, it’s been great to have a platform to make observations about the industry globally, usually based on what is happening in the here and now. However, indulge me one last time as I reflect back on a career in aviation and specifically on four features of the industry and the world of work that I have experienced, and their implications for the future of aviation and air travel.

-Rebecca Rowland