Ian Thomas – Managing Consultant

A highly-experienced consultant with a wide ranging skill base, Ian has undertaken assignments for more than 170 government, airline, airport and aviation industry clients in his 18 years with CAPA Consulting.  He specialises in the development of government and industry policy and strategic analysis, and has conducted reviews of aviation market and industry developments for various clients. Ian has also provided Expert Witness reports supporting a number of legal actions.

Prior to joining CAPA Consulting, Ian had a 22-year career as a journalist specialising in aviation, including:

  • Contributing Editor for Air Transport World (1994-2001):
  • Aviation and Transport writer for the Australian Financial Review (1992-1998):
  • Contributing Editor to The Commercial Aviation Report (formerly through Lloyds List; 1995-1999); and
  • Airfinance Annual (Euromoney Institutional Investor; 2002-2008).

Specialisation areas with CAPA Consulting:

  • Government advisory and policy development;
  • Bilateral and multilateral air services relationships and structures;
  • Aviation and tourism industry analysis;
  • Project management; and
  • Airline and airport strategic analysis.

Since joining CAPA Consulting some important assignments have been:

  • Conducting analyses of the airline industry and Low Cost Carrier development as part of the Master Planning for Hong Kong International Airport;
  • Reviewing Australia’s aviation policy and heading a team examining the impacts and options for the establishment of an open skies policy;
  • Developing FlightPlan 2030, for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority;
  • Heading a multi-disciplinary team developing a 5-year Business Plan for Pacific Aviation Safety Office under the World Bank’s Pacific Aviation Investment Program;
  • Establishing aviation sector strategies for Australian State and Federal Governments, and Pacific island states (Tonga and Kiribati);
  • Developing the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Single Aviation Market and Regional Air Services Arrangements with Dialogue Partners for the ASEAN Secretariat;
  • Review of Air Service Liberalisation for APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation); and
  • South Pacific strategic aviation review for Asian Development Bank.

Education qualifications:

  • Graduate of financial accounting and company courses, Australian Securities Institute.
  • Training in Legal, Management and Editing courses, Sussex, England.
  • Journalism Cadetship & Grading, News Corporation (Daily Mirror Newspapers).

Professional Memberships:

  • Member and former President, National Aviation Press Club (Australia, 10 years).
  • Joint Founder of the Australasian Journalist of the Year Awards; former Member of the Judging Panel.