Managing Director - Aviation Expert
Aviation Projects Managing Director and Principal Consultant, Keith Tonkin is one of the world’s leading aviation experts.
Keith’s life has always been about aviation. From an early age, he felt the calling to be a pilot, to experience the thrill of taking an aeroplane off the ground and having the freedom to move at speed in three dimensions.
Keith served 15 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, first flying short-haul tactical transport and humanitarian operations in the Caribou then projecting Australia’s Air Power with the supersonic long-range F-111 in strike and reconnaissance roles.
Nine years of international and domestic airline operations followed, flying for Qantas in the Classic B747-300/400 and B737-300, 400 and 800-series aircraft.
Coupled with his extensive operational experience, involving many airport planning and upgrade studies, and providing operations and management expertise to airports around Australia and the Asia-Pacific, Keith has a unique understanding of airport planning and operations problems.
Keith has numerous post-graduate qualifications which make his knowledge and expertise truly unique. These qualifications include an MBA (Aviation Management) and approval by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority to conduct aerodrome safety inspections.
Keith has the ability to think critically and formulate and articulate arguments based on relevant knowledge and understanding of key issues, enabling the development of practical solutions to complex problems. His advice is trusted, fearless and frank.
Keith is directly engaged by law firms, government agencies and companies and the media to deliver key evidence in environmental and development planning cases as well as provide his expert advice relating to key aviation issues. He is also called upon to provide evidence in aviation liability matters and take part in aviation incident investigations.
Keith is an expert aviation commentator during significant aviation disasters including the disappearance of MH370, the Germanwings A320 accident, the crash of Metrojet A321 Flight 9268 over Egypt, the Teneriffe Airport disaster and most recently the China Eastern Airlines accident.
Keith has a passion that energises him to make a difference, when combined with his 35 years of industry experience, who else would you want to help you with your aviation problems?
