O BITUAR Y
Peter Jones 1965 - 2012
P
eter Jones, Head of British Airways Aviation Security, passed away on 27th May 2012 after a short illness. Peter was born on 13th October 1965 in Guildford, Surrey in England. After gaining his High School qualifications he went on to obtain a BEng (Honours) degree in Aeronautical Engineering. During
Peter's degree course he was placed at British Aerospace in Scotland where he worked on the 'Jetstream' Flight Test Programme. After gaining his degree in 1988, Peter was accepted onto the British Airways Engineering Graduate
Programme as a Trainee Engineer based at London Heathrow Airport. Having joined British Airways, Peter quickly built a good reputation within Engineering and in 1990 he became a Senior Development Engineer. In 1993, and as his reputation continued to grow, Peter was appointed as a Principal Airframe Engineer for British Airways and posted to Seattle to take up his appointment at the British Airways office at the Boeing Company. In Seattle, Peter worked mainly with the development of the B777 aircraft for British Airways and in 1998 he returned to the UK to take up a new post as Programme Manager - Fleet. One of the most significant achievements during his time in Engineering was his work that contributed to the delivery of the world's first fully flat beds in Business Class. The success of this particular project ultimately retained British Airways' position at the forefront of the Premium Travel market. In the summer of 2002 and following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., Peter was placed on a temporary posting to the Security Department of British Airways to manage the company's Enhanced Security Programme. This led to the implementation of both 'Phase 1' and 'Phase 2' secure flight deck doors that are still in use today. Peter's secondment to Corporate Security was the start of his work within the security world. As with his time in BA Engineering, Peter soon started to gain respect for his knowledge and expertise in the field of aviation security. This was recognised within the company as Peter first took on the responsibility for BA's Aviation Security Policy & Planning before becoming BA's Head of Aviation Security in the spring of 2006. Peter was well known within the world of Aviation Security and shortly after this appointment he was faced with managing the fallout from the UK 'Liquids Plot' of August 2006. He was deeply involved with government and industry colleagues in the shaping of new regulations, from the initial reaction that removed all cabin baggage from carriage in the aircraft cabin, through to the re-introduction of the cabin baggage and the 'Liquids and Gels' regulation. In 2009 the aviation industry again faced a serious challenge with the 'Underpants Bomber’s' attempted sabotage of NW253 over Detroit on Christmas Day. The work Peter started then with regulators and within British Airways to mitigate this new threat continues today. An industry colleague summed up his thoughts of Peter, which many others share: "Peter was a true gentleman in every sense of the word – always able to listen to those whose views he did
not agree with – and always someone you could trust to give sage advice and positions on issues. Hopefully the rest of us can maintain the dedication to task and try to do it with the class that Peter always showed – large shoes to fill for sure."
When not at work, Peter enjoyed the outdoor life, whether it was on land, on water or in the air. He was a keen glider pilot; by the age of 22 he was already a gliding instructor at the Mendip Gliding Club in the UK and he continued with his love of gliding throughout his career. He also enjoyed skiing and hill walking, taking up the opportunity to follow these pursuits whenever he could. Peter is survived by his wife Jeanette and twin daughters aged 15.
Condolences may be sent care of Ms. Jenny Farrugia, British Airways Aviation Security, Waterside HDB2, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, UB7 0GB, UK.
This obituary was submitted to Aviation Security International by Tim Steeds, Director of Safety & Security, British Airways plc.
August 2012 Aviationsecurityinternational
www.asi-mag.com
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