Jill Brix General Manager Avisure and Jeff Follett General Manager Avisure Services
This year, 2020, will be remembered by industry for what Forbes magazine calls the ‘worst downturn in aviation history’, with passenger travel reduced globally by up to 90 per cent. Importantly, it will also be remembered for how the aviation industry fought hard to keep our communities connected, freight routes open, and above all, how we continued to keep aviation safe. We are immensely proud that Avisure, through the united efforts of our team of specialists and business partners, has proven its resilience during this time.
Some key highlights have included retaining all our staff, and all our long-term clients; winning a five-year contract with Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, and entering the US market, picking up our first US client, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We reconfirmed our commitment to the Australian Airports Association (AAA), and the national bird strike committees: the Australian Aviation Wildlife Hazard Group and the Canadian Birdstrike Committee, through our membership and ongoing support to webinars, recommended practices and online forums.
Sadly, the pandemic has brought about scaling back of aviation personnel, so we have also had colleagues and friends leave the industry. We thank them for their significant contribution and look forward to staying in contact, and the time when they are able to return to this industry we are all so passionate about.
We did it! We have updated our web site and I am proud to showcase our terrific team and the many people and organisations we have the honour of working with. Explore our new web site www.avisure.com—we look forward to your feedback.
And in the northern hemisphere, as our Australian colleagues head into warm weather and summer fun, we’re moving through autumn and working through our seasonal tasks. Autumn leaves are covering the ground, the first snow has fallen, birds are migrating, and we are ramping up for the busy season with geese, ducks, and gulls heading our way in the thousands. It’s funny after living in Queensland for so long how familiar it is to go through these seasonal rituals. Our Vancouver colleagues are dusting off their raingear, getting out their tuques (beanies for those in Australia), and doing laps out on the foreshore. Our Seattle team is going through similar activities. Living in Alaska, it means saying a short goodbye to the bears (thank goodness) and pulling out every stitch of clothing you have. I raise this because 2020 has brought so many changes and difficulties to our team, their families and people around the world. However, as a group, we’re well-adapted to change, whether that comes from the seasonal cycles or a pandemic. It’s been a challenging eight months, but our team has stuck together and delivered excellent results for our clients. I would like to take the chance to thank my amazing team and to say how much we appreciate our long-term collaboration with our clients and wildlife strike colleagues around the world. We hope you are all safe and well and look forward to the next time we can catch up in person.
