Mr John Parkinson
Head of UK Aviation Policy Development, Department for Transport
Policy Fellow of the Centre for Science and Policy
John Parkinson joined the then Department of (now “for”) Transport in 1990 as a graduate fast streamer and has worked there through its various guises since. He has dealt with most transport modes, including promoting new ferry survivability standards following the Estonia disaster in 1994 and helping to develop Network Rail following the failure of Railtrack in 2001.
As Head of Aviation Security between 2004 and 2007, he was responsible for the development of the UK’s National Aviation Security Programme and for the monitoring and enforcement of the aviation industry's compliance with it, as well as activities overseas to protect UK airlines and to drive up international standards. Immediately prior to his current post, John was responsible for overseeing implementation of the previous Government’s 2003 White Paper The Future of Air Transport, including leading the then Government’s consultation on adding capacity at Heathrow airport. In his current role he is responsible for leading work towards a new sustainable framework for UK aviation.