Our History

Our history began in 2015, with the foundation of a dedicated group of third level students from Technological University Dublin (formerly Dublin Institute of Technology). Alexandra Slabutu, Andrei Jatariu and Carl Lynam recognised a gap in the industry between students and aviation professionals. From there, they decided to form what is now known today as the Irish Aviation Students’ Association. This is our story.

Our Story

Over the Years

^
2015

Early 2015

Foundation of IASA

Alexandra Slabutu was the first elected Chairperson alongside Carl Lynam and Andrei Jatariu and Greeshma Gopi elected as Treasurer, Head of Marketing and Secretary. During this period, the elected members recruited Cameron Fahy, Ciaran Tourish, Andreea Slabutu, Bridget Corry from various colleges around Ireland.

One of the main ideas considered by the founders of IASA was to bridge the gap between students and the aviation industry. The Co-Founders decided to host the 1st Annual Symposium in Dublin in October 2015.

^
2015

October 2015

1st IASA Symposium

The 1st Annual Symposium – was a huge success. The Symposium gathered students and industry professionals from all over the country and the world. Representatives from over 15 organisations contributed to the launch of our first symposium. This excellent event offered the chance for over 150 students in attendance to learn more about the specific requirements of trainers, educators, and companies for candidates in various roles and discuss current issues faced by the aviation industry as well as future trends.

^
2015

November 2015

Establishment of the Board of Advisors

The IASA Committee establishes the first of IASA’s Board of Advisors – Mark Hegarty (Karman Aviation), Yvonne Thompson (PwC Ireland), Karl Griffin (DAE, formerly AWAS), Steve Kelly (Aer Lingus), Paul Gorey (TUD, formerly DIT), Fergus Wilson (Aer Lingus) and Pat Toner (Aer Advice).

^
2016

October 2016

Launch of the Student Handbook

The first issue of the Student Handbook is published. The handbook was designed to showcase various available courses, graduate programmes, internships and other opportunities with an aviation focus in Ireland.

^
2016

October 2016

Second Annual Symposium

After the success of the inaugural event, IASA hosts its second Aviation Symposium bringing together over 250 students, academia and industry. The symposium was centered around the theme of the event ‘Nurturing Talent & Innovation in the Irish Aviation Industry’. The event was led by industry guest speakers’ presentations and discussion panels combined with networking opportunities throughout the day, giving attendees the chance to interact with and build contacts within the industry.

^
2017

February 2017

IASA exhibits for the first time at Pilot Careers Live Dublin

In partnership with the organisers, IASA exhibits for the first time at Pilot Careers Live Dublin. This event is solely for passionate aviation lovers who wish to pursue a career as a pilot.

^
2017

May 2017

IASA attended the first Dublin Aviation Summit in the RDS.

In partnership with Airline Economics, IASA proudly exhibited at the first Dublin Aviation Summit that brought together leading MRO’s, Financial Sectors & Asset Managers from across the industry under the one roof. The event allowed IASA to expand knowledge, find solutions to problems and present ideas amongst one another. Conference speakers discussed a wide variety of topics such as the importance of sustainability and infrastructure, regulations and policies.

^
2017

July 2017

Launch of the JAN Series

IASA launches the first JAN (Junior Aviation Networking) Series event in No.25 Fitzwilliam Place with guest speaker, Fergus Wilson – CTO, Aer Lingus. The JAN series enables young professionals in the aviation industry across Ireland to network and build new relationships with like-minded individuals. It provides a platform where members can discuss and learn about latest industry trends through guest speakers.

^
2017

September 2017

Launch of the first Career Slingshot event

IASA launches the Career Slingshot events which includes presentations and discussions with key members of leading companies, discussing their career paths to date and their outlook of the future opportunities of particular areas of the aviation industry in Ireland and beyond. We took a dive into the Pilot route for this event where Captain Steve Kelly spoke about Cadetships and flight schools. Interview & CV prep and what to expect from your future career with industry expert Margie Burns, and Valentina Fitzpatrick spoke about maintaining your fitness during training.

^
2017

September 2017

Management Committee 2017/2018

Bridget Corry becomes the second elected Chairperson, Ross Quinless, Shane Gorman, Andreea Slabutu and Cian McHugh elected Secretary, Treasurer, Head of Marketing and Student Coordinator respectively.

^
2017

October 2017

Third Annual Symposium

IASA hosts its third annual symposium on Digital Transformation in the Aviation Industry & The Next Generation Workforce of Aviation Pioneers. The audience comprised of over 300 young and budding members of the aviation industry learned that in-depth knowledge of technological developments and advances in the fields of avionics, communications, media, and security. One of our keynote speakers, DAE (Dubai Aerospace Enterprise) CEO Firoz Tarapore captivated the audience on how both digitalization of the aviation industry and future pioneers can and will affect the stunning levels of demand for future aviation industry professionals.

^
2017

October 2017

Launch of the Monthly Job Opportunities & Industry Newsletter

The first issue of Monthly Job Opportunities & Industry Newsletter is published. Bridget Corry, Chairperson, distinctly captures the need for the new project to attract companies to showcase career opportunities to students.

^
2017

November 2017

IASA’s Co-Founder Alexandra Slabutu spoke at the Next Generations of Aviation Professional Global Summit at ICAO HQ in Montreal.

In late 2017, ICAO hosted the Next Generations of Aviation Professional Global Summit (NGAP) to raise awareness regarding the impending shortage of aviation professionals and encourage Civil Aviation Authorities to communicate and cooperate with government education and labour bodies to promote aviation as a profession. IASA’s Co-Founder Alexandra Slabutu spoke at the summit at ICAO HQ in Montreal. In Alexandra’s presentation, she highly encouraged the audience to collaborate and exchange ideas, knowledge, best practices and experiences regarding ICAO’s NGAP related activities with association like IASA. She stated how the aviation community can identify the long-term human resources needs and to establish strategies to attract, educate and retain young aviation professionals.

^
2018

January 2018

Second JAN Series event proudly Sponsored by KPMG Ireland

IASA welcomed Tom Woods, Head of Aviation Finance in KPMG Ireland to speak at IASA’s second JAN event accompanied by over 100 young inspired professionals with an interest in aviation. Tom provided the audience with compelling observations of the industry, especially within the leasing sector and how Ireland has a rich background in the leasing industry. The collapse of GPA (Guinness Peat Aviation), which was one of the first leasing companies, encouraged the formation of many leasing companies that are now the best in the world. Tom Woods explained how Ireland is fortunate to have developed treaties for aircraft leasing companies, as the establishment of a strong treaty network is the key element to maintain competitiveness.

 

^
2018

March 2018

IASA exhibits for the second time at Pilot Careers Live Dublin

The Pilot Careers Live event gives attendees the perfect opportunity to discover and learn more about the exciting career paths to become a pilot. IASA continues to grow its newsletter subscribers by 20% from all visiting attendees.

^
2018

March 2018

Second Career Slingshot Event

IASA hosted the second event Career Slingshot Series within the Aircraft Leasing Sector. The event included presentations and discussions leading aircraft leasing companies. Aoife Hafner from SMBC Aviation Capital, Mariyan Adanov from DAE, Donal O’Shea and Fiona McAllister from Avolon discussed their career paths to date and their outlook of the global market for aircraft, lease rates and values, in terms of marketing, legal and finance.

^
2018

July 2018

Third JAN Series event proudly Sponsored by PwC Ireland

In the summer months of 2018, IASA welcomed over 90 young professionals to our third JAN event with our guest speaker Rachel Frye, Aviation Finance Advisor in PwC Ireland. The event proceeded by a short introduction of our guest speaker by Chairperson Bridget Corry. Bridget briefly spoke about the offerings IASA provides to the audience of the evening and how it can benefit them in the near future. Immediately, Rachel captivated her audience by discussing her passion for the industry she admires so much. In her talk, Rachel emphasised the importance of networking and also spoke about aircraft transitioning to the overall lessor environment.

^
2018

September 2018

Management Committee 2018/2019

Gareth Lau becomes the third elected Chairperson, Cian McHugh, Jordan Myers and Mark Kenny elected Secretary, Treasurer and Student Engagement Coordinator respectively.

^
2018

September 2018

Launch of Ireland’s Largest and Only Aviation Career Expo

IASA launched Ireland’s first and only aviation career expo in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood, Santry with over 35 exhibitors and over 450 attendees. We offered companies the opportunity to showcase their graduate programmes, internships, and other career opportunities for students from different disciplines in Ireland and beyond.

^
2018

September 2018

IASA takes part in the IGC Fair in Killarney 2018

Irish Guidance Counselor (IGC) Fair was aimed at all Leaving Certificate students in the Kerry, West Cork, and West Limerick region. The purpose was to provide students with an opportunity to meet college representatives, career specialists and employers at a time when they are preparing to make their career choices.

^
2018

October 2018

New Industry Advisor Committee Members

Joe O’Mara (KPMG Ireland), Mickael Melaye (Airbus) and Susan Bradford (DAE Capital) join the Industry Advisory Committee.

^
2019

February 2019

Fourth Annual Symposium

IASA hosts its fourth annual Symposium on Launching into the Future with the Next Generation of Aviation Professionals in the Helix, Collins Avenue, Dublin 9. This event united aviation professionals and over 200 students to highlight and discuss current trends in the aviation industry and how to start your career in this niche industry. The Symposium had over 20 guest speakers from a wide range of backgrounds from aircraft leasing, engineering, pilot, recruitment and many more.

^
2019

March 2019

IASA exhibits third consecutive year at Pilot Careers Live Dublin

The Pilot Careers Live event gives attendees the perfect opportunity to discover and learn more about the exciting career paths to become a pilot.

^
2019

April 2019

IASA hosts Third Career Slingshot to expand in the West of Ireland

As a part of IASA’s expansion plan, Gareth Lau, Chairperson recognises the need to host events outside of the Dublin area. IASA held it’s third Career Slingshot in Aviation Engineering at the IAA, Shannon Centre. The event included presentations and discussions from key members of leading engineering companies such as the Irish Aviation Authority, CAE Parc and Lufthansa Technik.

^
2019

May 2019

IASA exhibits at the Dublin Aviation Summit 2019

IASA was honoured to exhibit at the Dublin Aviation Summit in the RDS for the third consecutive year. Gareth Lau was Master of Ceremonies at the Training and Recruitment Conference to discuss recruitment strategies and planning when it comes to getting the right candidate along with key members of the aviation industry.

^
2019

May 2019

IASA exhibits for the first time abroad at the MRO Airline London 2019

The IASA team was honoured to attend the World Aviation Festival 2019 in London. This remarkable event allowed the team to network and expose IASA with thousands of global leaders in aviation and be inspired by the greatest minds in the industry. There were over 600 speakers from the most successful airlines, airports, and digital intermediaries all in one room.

^
2019

June 2019

John McCormack joins the Industry Advisory Committee.

John McCormack (EY) joins the IASA Industry Advisory Committee to advise with internal strategies and policies to maximise the association’s future growth.

^
2019

July 2019

IASA & IAA visit the International House Dublin

IASA was invited to speak to a group of Air Traffic Safety Engineers from ENAC (École Nationale de L’aviation Civil) University. Alongside IASA, the IAA also presented to these students to discover aspects of aviation services and air traffic control in Ireland.

^
2019

July 2019

IASA hosts the 4th JAN Series event at House, Dublin

Once again, IASA proudly hosts the 4th JAN Series event at House, Dublin 2 with guest speaker Raymond Kerr. This evening event brought over 90 young professionals to network, socialise and create opportunities amongst one another. The event started off with a speech from Chairperson Gareth Lau who spoke greatly about the importance of networking and how this event will benefit a young professional’s network. In Raymond’s speech, he spoke fruitfully about his passion of the aviation industry and his background of over four decades. Raymond talked to the audience through his impressive experience and broad-based knowledge of Airline and Airport Operations and Airport Development in companies he worked for such as EasyJet, Dublin Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport, and Siemens.

^
2019

September 2019

Gareth Lau joins a panel to discuss ‘How is the war for talent evolving in aviation’ at the World Aviation Festival in London.

The IASA team was honoured to attend the World Aviation Festival 2019 in London. This remarkable event allowed the team to network and expose IASA with thousands of global leaders in aviation and be inspired by the greatest minds in the industry. There were over 600 speakers from the most successful airlines, airports, and digital intermediaries all in one room.

^
2019

October 2019

Following on from the success of our first Aviation Career Expo, IASA hosted our second Aviation Career Expo on Tuesday, 22nd October in Croke Park, Dublin.

After a successful launch of Ireland’s first aviation Career Expo, the IASA team hosted its second career expo in Croke Park, Dublin. This unforgettable event had over 30 exhibitors and saw an increase in attendance of over 150% compared to last year. This event held small seminars from world-leading companies such as LinkedIn, Atlantic Aviation Group, Ryanair, SMBC Aviation Capital, Six West and Aer Lingus.

^
2019

October 2019

Management Committee 2019/2020

Daniel Tetis becomes the fourth elected Chairperson, Kate Iarajuli, Aaron Gilmartin, Elizabeth Shields and Jack Caffrey elected Secretary, Treasurer, Head of Marketing and Head of Engagement.

^
2019

November 2019

Andy O’Shea Joins the Industry Advisory Committee

Andy O’Shea, co-founder of Airline Pilots Club, joins the Industry Advisory Committee to advise with internal strategies and decisions, bringing an abundance of Aviation experience including Head of Training for many years in Ryanair.

^
2019

November 2019

IASA make a second appearance at the IGC Fair in Kerry

IASA were lucky to exhibit for a second time at the Irish Guidance Counsellor Fair in Kerry, allowing us to engage with Leaving Certificate students from the West of Ireland. IASA were able to inform and advise those students interested in aviation about college courses and graduate programmes throughout Ireland.

^
2020

February 2020

IASA hosts Fourth Career Slingshot to showcase Aviation Finance in Ireland

IASA hosted our fourth Career Slingshot on Aviation Finance with guest speakers Claire O’Regan from PwC, Eamon Smith from KPMG, Seamus Feeney from EY and moderator Patrick Blaney from UCD Smurfit. The event, held in The IAA offices Dublin, gave an insight into the various roles in the Aviation Finance sector and speakers shared their thoughts on the future of the sector.

^
2020

March 2020

IASA exhibit once again at Pilots Careers Live

For the fourth year in a row, IASA exhibits at Pilot Careers Live, speaking to aviation-passionate students and offering advice on choosing flight schools and college courses.

^
2020

April 2020

IASA launch Covid-19 Interview Series

As events in Ireland come to a sudden halt due to Covid-19, IASA adapted quickly and began interviewing professionals in the industry to gather their thoughts on how Covid-19 will affect the aviation industry. Interviewees include Sean Doyle, Aer Lingus CEO, Claire Steiner, Director of Institute and Travel and Tourism and Valentina Fitzpatrick, Co-Founder of European Aviation Wellbeing Committee.

^
2020

April 2020

IASA Fundraise for Irish Community Rapid Response

With Covid-19 affecting everyone all over the world, IASA decided to play a small part in helping out a much-needed cause. The Irish Community Rapid Response were relying on fundraising to save lives, giving IASA an excellent opportunity to fundraise on their behalf. The community took part in a push-up challenge to raise much needed funds for this wonderful cause.