European Regions Airline Association

Keith represents ERA members interests at external groups at EASA, Eurocontrol and the European Commission dealing with regulatory, technical, and safety matters, and coordinates consensus member inputs in these areas. He coordinates ERA Advisory Groups on Maintenance issues, and Air Safety and the Chief Financial Officer's Group for ERA members.

Simon was appointed Director General on 1 January 2013 Prior to this he held the position of Deputy Director General and before was Director Industry Affairs covering the development, promotion and implementation of ERA's policies on air traffic infrastructure, user charges, airport matters, the environment and Air Transport Policy. His new position adds Technical Services to his portfolio of responsibilities.  Before joining ERA he worked for the Flight Data Company in the UK, producing, delivering and supporting flight operations quality assurance programmes for airlines in Asia. Previously, he worked for the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations (IFALPA).  He has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering and an MSc in Air Transport Management.

Nick has worked for over 30 years in regional civil aviation in various capacities including: Customer Service Agent, Flight Dispatcher, Senior Operations Controller, then in a variety of management roles including flight operations, navigation and crew scheduling. His last active role in an airline was as the appointed security manager for a regional UK airline.  Nick was recruited to the ERA Directorate in July 1999 as Manager Technical Services, being responsible for the administrative support and technical guidance to the ERA Operations, Maintenance and Supplies and Logistics groups and to represent the interests of members with respect to technical matters concerning operations, maintenance, navigation and air traffic services.  In January 2002, Nick was appointed General Manager Technical Services heading up the Tech Services team having the overall responsibility within the ERA Directorate for all matters and activities concerning Operations, Air Safety, Security, Contingency Planning, Maintenance and Supplies and Logistics.  Following a further reorganisation within the Directorate, from January 2011 Nick was appointed General Manager Regulatory Affairs, encompassing all existing ‘technical’ areas, but also having responsibility for Air Transport policy, Environmental and Aero-Political issues.

Leo has been working with ERA since January 2011, his last appointment being as International and EU Relations Officer at Alenia Aeronautica (A Finmeccanica Company), based in Rome. He started his career as an intern at the United Nations Office of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, after various experiences in Sales & Marketing with two multinational companies, he joined Alenia in 2006, working on the Joint Strike Fighter (F-35) Programme within the Sales & Marketing Department.  He completed his secondary studies at the Ecole Internationale du Shape (Belgium), before obtaining a degree in Political Science from the LUISS University of Rome, completed by post-graduate studies in International Relations.  Italian mother tongue, fluent in English and French, Leo is a keen runner and his responsibilities at ERA cover political and policy aspects of European regional air transport.

Robert Peel's entire career has been in aviation.  It began at British Airways in Technical Services and Franchising where Robert stayed for 21 years before being appointed as General Manager Technical Affairs at the Association of European Airlines in Brussels. Following this, he has held senior positions at both the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines in Manila and at the Air Transport Association of America in Washington DC, before being appointed to the ERA Directorate as Manager Air Safety & Operations in 2006.  Since March 2008 Robert has held the post of Manager Operations & Air Traffic Services, where one of his primary roles is to ensure that the transition to EASA competence for OPS and FCL is as seamless for ERA members as is practical and possible. He also provides support to the ERA Operations Work Group and contributes an Operations input to Infrastructure issues, especially with respect to the technical aspects of the SESAR project.