The Department of Economic Development has announced that Simon Williams will take over the role as the Isle of Man’s new Director of Civil Aviation on October 1 2014 replacing Hartley Elder who retired earlier this year.
Minister for Economic Development Laurence Skelly MHK commented:
‘I am delighted to welcome Simon Williams to the Department as our new Director of Civil Aviation. He brings significant breadth and depth of experience to the role following a very diverse and successful 25 year career in military and civil aviation.
‘I look forward to working with him to ensure that Isle of Man Aircraft Registry continues its impressive growth and to help maintain its status as the best in the world for quality and service.’
Simon Williams commented:
‘I am thrilled and honoured to have been selected for the post of Director of Civil Aviation and I’m looking forward to working with the team at the Aircraft Registry to serve our much valued clients and to supporting the Island’s business aviation community.
‘I am inheriting a substantial legacy from my predecessors and would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have worked so hard to make the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry the unprecedented success it has become.
‘I have been visiting the Island regularly since 1991 so am all the more pleased that I now have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to settle and work in such a wonderful place.
‘With the registration of its 700th aircraft earlier this month, the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry has carried on its strong growth and I’m looking forward to playing my part in contributing to its continued success and that of the Island’s aviation services sector.’
Simon Williams has successfully held a number of challenging Senior Operational and Staff Appointments. He has operated as an Aircraft Commander, Training Captain, Qualified Helicopter Tactics Instructor, and Instrument Rating Examiner and has flown a wide variety of aircraft including Royal Air Force Search & Rescue Sea Kings, Special Operations Pumas and Civil Boeing 757s and Boeing 767s, most recently for British Airways.
During 5 years at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, he developed a very broad regulatory and safety portfolio which saw him chairing groups at national and international level. These groups were focussed on delivering tangible safety benefits whilst working closely with a diverse cross section of the aviation industry.
More recently, he increasingly devoted much of his time to working in ‘Safety Partnership' with the business aviation community, latterly focussing on seeking to influence the development of proportionate and effective EASA Regulations, in particular for Non-Commercial Complex Motor Powered Aircraft.
