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View from the cockpit

Release date:
June 2022
Joanne Goodall CEO TAG Aviation Europe-montage
Joanne Goodall, CEO, TAG Aviation Europe on her career path from working in a commercial airline operational control centre to CEO, her love of helicopters and the benefits of collaborating with Air bp.

 

Can you tell me a little about yourself and your professional background?

 

I have been in the aviation industry for 20 years, beginning in a commercial airline operational control centre. As aviation is global, I was lucky to use this as a foundation to work and live in various countries around the world for private, commercial and freight operators.

 

Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in aviation?

 

Very early in my career I was lucky enough to work for a man named Neil Burrows, who was then director of flight operations at Air 2000, but ultimately became CEO.  It was at a time when I was considering moving into other areas, but Neil took me under his wing and mentored me. He once asked me where I wanted to be in 20 years, and I said in his seat. Little did I imagine the career path that would follow. I look back on that time as the turning point in my career to stay within aviation.

 

You are a qualified helicopter pilot; how often do you get to fly?

 

I dreamt of flying helicopters from the age of 5 and when I finally had the funds to put myself though the training it was a real milestone for me. Helicopters are fun to fly and so agile, however in my current role there isn’t much time for much flying unfortunately.

 

You have been with TAG Aviation since 2017, how has the business evolved since then?

 

TAG Aviation has been constantly evolving in an ever-changing landscape. We work in a complex and exciting sector, but add to that a pandemic, regulatory changes and politics and it's a constantly changing landscape. TAG has evolved in response to business aviation’s needs and to ensure continuous improvement and development in line with these influences.

 

TAG Aviation is a global company with headquarters in Europe and Asia, how much crossover is there between the two territories and the services you offer?

 

TAG Aviation Europe and Asia are built with the same DNA - a global presence with a local representation. We work closely to ensure the foundation of our services are the same, whilst ensuring we offer individual tailor-made solutions. Working across the two regions also enables us to provide aircraft management, charter, and service excellence in a variety of time zones.

 

Can you explain the different services you offer?

 

We operate a fleet of varying aircraft types on multiple registrations to suit individual owner requirements. We have set options which ensures we can provide commercial AOCs or private operations to suit all ownership structures. Our core services are aircraft management, charter, acquisitions, and continuous airworthiness management organisation (CAMO), offering a total package for owners and corporations. We pride ourselves on supporting every step of the private jet journey.

 

You also operate an FBO facility in Macau and have previously operated facilities in Europe, are you looking to expand your FBO operations in Europe again?

 

Our Macau FBO facility was developed in response to customer demand in the local area.  Although TAG has been very successful in owning and running FBO services, at present we are concentrating on our core services of aircraft management, acquisitions, and charter.  Who knows where the future will take us though.

 

How has COVID impacted your operations and what lessons have you learnt during the pandemic that you will continue to implement going forward?

 

The last two years provided an opportunity to establish our future whilst retaining the essence of our heritage and collectively evaluating our business goals, achievements, and challenges. Our staff showed remarkable commitment and resilience which enabled us to keep our customers flying and to support each other in extremely demanding circumstances. We also took the time to assess business practices and identify areas of improvement and opportunity whilst developing digital progression to simplify the client experience and become trusted advisors.

 

How do you benefit from your partnership with Air bp and how are you working together to address a sustainable future?

 

We have worked with Air bp for several years now and they are a valued supplier. In line with our commitment to decarbonising aviation, we are able to access Air bp’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) network in response to customer demand. Air bp is very proactive in this area and is one of the leading energy companies supporting aviation’s lower carbon journey.

 

What is in the pipeline for TAG Aviation?

 

TAG Aviation Europe has established a foundation of resilient operations, digital transformation and client delivery which has enabled us to foster trust and commitment for our future goals. With sustainability on everyone’s agenda, TAG Aviation is working with trusted partners to be at the forefront as a contributor in these developments.  In the near-term future and given our local footprint, we are looking forward to this year’s Farnborough Airshow in July and the opportunity it will provide to network with key contacts.

 

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