Aeroclass instructor Gavin Eccles: Aviation brings people together

Hotels and aviation may seem like different things, but actually, they are very linked. Our instructor Gavin Eccles entered the field of aviation through this link. He was writing his doctoral thesis when two highly respected professionals contacted him with an opportunity to join the industry. They asked Gavin to manage and lead all sales and marketing growth initiatives at British Airways, and that’s how his story of aviation begins.

Now, after a lot of years he recalls these days at British Airways as good days, he has never regretted them. He was proud to work at the flag carrier of the United Kingdom doing things that nobody had ever done before. However, everything comes to an end so, he needed to move on to other assignments.

Gavin feels satisfied with his aviation career. He remembers that one of the first things he learned in his career was that his job brings people together. There is nothing that motivates him more than going to the airport on Friday afternoon and seeing people’s reactions to seeing one another, hugging, and smiling people.

Another big challenge was the launch of a new air route linking China and Portugal. It took him a year and about 15 visits to Beijing to convince Hainan Airlines that it would be a wise decision for all parties included. In 2016, China was booming, and every European country was trying to find Chinese airlines to fly, so going there and representing the country was a big dare.

Moving towards teaching, Gavin’s first experience was in university when acquiring his Ph.D. As a research assistant he had to give classes to younger students. He quickly learned that the best way of teaching is to facilitate. According to him, teaching isn’t about telling, it’s about listening and sharing, and he is doing it ever since.

You can find his course about air services development at Aeroclass which, as he said, brings airlines, airports, and tourism to the same classroom. We do not doubt that the course is very useful and interesting because the instructor has been on both sides of the table: he worked for an airline as well as tourism boards. But first, let’s meet Gavin Eccles in our Expert Talk!