Guernsey Airport has announced that Leah Jeffreys has been appointed as its new Manager of Air Traffic Control Services for Guernsey and Alderney Airports, following a competitive recruitment process.
The appointment comes as the current Manager, Frank McMeiken, is retiring after 29 years of service to both Airports.
Leah Jeffreys will take up her appointment on 11 January 2019 and she will be responsible for leading Bailiwick Air Traffic Control Services into the future.
Mrs Jeffreys said: “I’m delighted to be recognised in this way. Air Traffic Control Services perform a vital function in aviation safety and managing the skies locally and around the world. I want to maintain and build upon the high standard of service our customers receive from Guernsey and Alderney Airports on a daily basis by our controllers and support staff.
“The transition for the Guernsey Air Traffic Control Service to meet standards and achieve certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be my immediate priority. This work is vital for the future of aviation in the Bailiwick, and has involved a large amount of staff input at Guernsey and Alderney Airports, and will govern how the service is regulated locally from 2019.
“I also want to maintain and extend the training opportunities for people resident in the Bailiwick who want to work in Air Traffic Control. To become a controller requires a certain skillset but our successful track record over the last few years, with training our own controllers, has shown us there are the skills on island and we will continue to build on this success.”
Mrs Jeffreys spent seven years as an Air Traffic Services Assistant, and qualified as an Air Traffic Control Officer at Guernsey Airport in 1998.
The outgoing Manager of Air Traffic Control Services, Frank McMeiken, said: “I am confident that Leah will do an excellent job as my successor at Guernsey Airport, assisting the Airport in achieving EASA certification, which will set robust new standards for Air Traffic Control Services locally from 2019. I wish Leah and her team all the very best for the future at Guernsey and Alderney Airports.”
Head of Aviation Services for Guernsey and Alderney Airports, Ash Nicholas, said: “I’m really pleased with Leah Jeffreys’ appointment as our new Manager of Air Traffic Control Services for Guernsey and Alderney Airports. Our transition to EASA regulation will be crucial to the future success of the Bailiwick’s airports. Leah fully understands the demands and importance of Air Traffic Control Services in Guernsey and Alderney, and I am sure she will use her frontline experience to take on the service in the future. I would like to pay tribute to Frank McMeiken’s contribution and service to the Airport. Frank has seen many challenges and developed the service to what it is today, and has thoroughly earned his retirement.”
