A new Director of Civil Aviation has been appointed for the Channel Islands and will take up post in mid-September

John Nicholas will take office as the most senior aviation safety regulator for Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney.

The role means he will be responsible for CI air space, regulation of the islands' airports and oversight of technical approvals for any aircraft registered with the Jersey and Guernsey aircraft registries.

He will also have oversight of the aviation security and meteorological services.

Mr Nicholas began his career as an engineering apprentice, before he became an aircraft engineer for a UK airline and then Airworthiness Surveyor at the UK's Civil Aviation Authority. 

Senior politicians have welcomed the appointment:

"John is a highly experienced aviation regulator and has worked in several senior roles at the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as an aviation safety consultant and within airline commercial operations.

He brings years of aviation safety and regulation experience to the Office, and we wish him every success in this critical role”. - Deputy Philip Ozouf, Jersey's External Relations Minister.

“We’re pleased to welcome John to this important role. He has a lot of experience." - Deputy Neil Inder, Guernsey's Economic Development Committee President.

Mr Nicholas will be in the role for an initial six months and then the islands' governments will choose whether his contract will be extended by a further 36 months.

Previous Channel Islands Director of Civil Aviation Dominic Lazarus was removed by the States of Guernsey in late 2020 for 'gross incompetence'.