Airport Experience® News - Leadership Issue 2024

MOVING ON, BUT LEAVING THEIR MARKS In A Heavy Retirement Year, Eight Retiring Directors Share Their Insights

BY CAROL WARD

Retirement is a natural part of the career cycle. If we’re lucky, most of us will reach a time when we can cast aside the day-to-day duties of our jobs and jump into a “what’s next” phase of our lives. Thus, retirements aren’t unusual, but the number of high-profile airport directors who have announced retirement in the past year or so – and who plan to depart the industry (at least from a full-time basis) in the next 12 months – is remarkable. AXN’s Carol Ward spoke with eight of those directors about their impacts on their respective organizations, their succession planning efforts and their plans for life post-airports. Kevin Dillon has what most would call a comprehensive aviation resume. Dillon, now executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, overseeing Bradley International Airport (BDL), will retire on February 6, 2025 after nearly 50 years in aviation. He’s worked at multiple airports of various sizes, with roles ranging from skycap supervisor to director of aviation operations to leading the creation of a new airport authority. Kevin Dillon, Executive Director, Connecticut Airport Authority

That first skycap supervisor role was at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which provided a strong base for an aviation career. “The Port Authority was a pretty forward-thinking organization and gave employees the opportunity to rotate through many different disciplines and facets of aviation,” Dillon recalls. “I got a really well-rounded background, working operations, working on the maintenance side of the house and the administrative pieces, the finance piece.” After more than two decades at PANYNJ, Dillon cycled through a few other airports, starting with Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), then to Manchester Boston Regional Airport (MHT), Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport (PVD) before joining BDL. In 2012 Dillon was tapped to lead the creation of the Connecticut Airport Authority , transitioning from Connecticut Department of Transportation management of BDL. “The first year was simply setting up the organization and getting the FAA approvals to transfer the sponsorship,” he recalls. “But since that time, we’ve enjoyed great success principally on the route development side. We were able to restore transatlantic service as well as transcontinental service.”

Above, Opposite page left: Kevin Dillon, executive director, Connecticut Airport Authority

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AX NEWS DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025