The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) has appointed captain Claude Hurley, FRAeS as its new director, environment and flight operations.

Director general Kurt Edwards says: “We are honoured to have Claude join the IBAC team. Given his respected work at ICAO as Canada's representative to the council and as an air navigation commissioner, his regulatory experience at Transport Canada and his flying assignments around the world, he brings a depth of understanding of the environmental and operational complexities facing international business aviation. I look forward to working with Claude and am confident he will effectively represent the business aviation community in critical forums at ICAO and with our member associations.”

As the permanent representative of Canada to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Council and Canada's nominee to the air navigation commission, including for two terms as its president, Hurley has served in key roles over the last nine years at ICAO, where he has worked on a range of important issues regarding the environment, safety, security, aviation's restart and recovery from the pandemic, and the introduction of new entrants to the air transport system.

Hurley's career in aviation began in the Canadian Armed Forces as an officer and a pilot, flying in tactical aviation and search and rescue roles. His civilian flying career has spanned remote operations in the Canadian arctic as an air ambulance pilot to flying operations overseas, where he served as a training pilot, check pilot, technical type pilot and base manager. In 2010, he joined Transport Canada where he soon led teams responsible for aviation safety oversight and later continued his substantive position as a Transport Canada executive while on assignment at ICAO.

In this new role, Hurley will lead IBAC's environmental initiatives to raise awareness of and advocate for sustainable aviation fuel and other measures to reduce business aviation's environmental impacts. Importantly, he will represent IBAC at key ICAO bodies that set standards and guidance on environmental and operational safety matters.

Ali Alnaqbi, chairman of the IBAC governing board and founder and chairman of MEBAA says: “On behalf of the IBAC governing board and our member associations and industry partners around the world, we welcome Claude to the IBAC team. We look forward to working closely with him to meet our environmental goals and effectively address operational matters.”

Hurley received a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the Royal Military College of Canada and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS), bestowed upon professionals recognised for their extensive quality experience, high responsibilities and outstanding contributions in the profession of aeronautics.