Andrew Kelly, Director, ASL Airlines Ireland

Session 1 - Kelly’s current responsibilities in ASL Ireland, and indeed across the six other airlines of ASL Aviation Holdings include strategic communications, external and government relations, regulatory affairs and lobbying and crisis communications. These are responsibilities he previously held in another Irish regional airline, Aer Arann, and also in the telecommunications industry. After its acquisition by ASL, Kelly also acted as interim Chief Executive Officer at the rebranded ASL Airlines, Hungary

He has been involved on the front line of negotiating and lobbying with the EU and the European Commission for many years. As Vice Chair of the ERA Industry Affairs Group he attended, made presentations and spoke on behalf of his own airline and the member airlines of the ERA at European Commission hearings on major issues impacting the regional airline industry including passenger rights and the ETS scheme.

Previously he lobbied extensively in the European Commission and Parliament on competition and the rights on the ‘challenger brand’ mobile telephone networks who were facing major problems with access and predatory competition by the large dominant networks. His earlier career included 13 years working as a consultant for Aer Lingus in both Corporate Affairs and Marketing and this, coupled with his experience working across ASL’s passenger and cargo airlines, has given him a thorough understanding of the significant issues that we all face as regional airlines.