The Connecticut Airport Authority announced Wednesday the selection of Kevin A. Dillon, A.A.E., as its Executive Director, the leadership role that brings dedicated focus to the CAA’s mission of making Connecticut’s airports a key economic catalyst for the state.
Dillon is an experienced aviation executive with more than 36 years of experience in successful airport management, business and route development, officials said in a press release.
“With the appointment of a talented executive like Kevin Dillon, the Connecticut Airport Authority is clearly moving forward on its objective to drive economic development and growth in and around our airports,” Governor Dannel Malloy said in a released statement. “Kevin knows the industry, he knows New England, and I welcome him wholeheartedly to Connecticut.”
“We are delighted that Kevin Dillon, with his diverse experience and demonstrated capabilities, will lead the CAA,” Mary Ellen Jones, chairwoman of the Connecticut Airport Authority said. “His focus on operational excellence, route service development, customer satisfaction and community engagement will help us build on the strengths of Bradley International Airport and our five general aviation airports.”
“I am very excited about this wonderful opportunity, and the chance to work with the Connecticut Airport Authority,” Dillon said. “Bradley International Airport and the general aviation airport system are critical to the state economy, and I am pleased to play a role in moving these important aviation facilities forward.”
Dillon is transitioning from his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) to his new position as executive director of the CAA. He will join the CAA full-time in mid-July and report directly to the CAA Board of Directors.
Dillon has been president and chief executive officer of RIAC since February 2008, where he’s been responsible for T.F. Green Airport and the five general aviation airports in Rhode Island. He has extensive operational experience and has held senior-level positions at some of the largest aviation organizations in the U.S.
His previous positions include Deputy Executive Director of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Airport Director for Manchester-Boston Airport, Director, Aviation Operations at the Massachusetts Port Authority, and several managerial roles at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey including Acting General Manager of LaGuardia Airport. CAA officials said Dillon has a track record of building positive relationships with airport communities and stakeholders.
Officials said Dillon has demonstrated success in route and business development, including the development and implementation of significant capital plans and enhanced retail and concession programs which substantially increased airport revenues. He has a Bachelor of Science in Management and Communications from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. He also serves on the Policy Review Committee of the American Association of Airport Executives.
The Connecticut Airport Authority was established in July 2011 to develop, improve and operate Bradley International Airport and the state’s five general aviation airports (Danielson, Groton/New London, Hartford Brainard, Waterbury-Oxford, and Windham airports). The board consists of 11 members with a broad spectrum of experience in aviation-related and other industries as well as government.
The goal of the CAA is to make Connecticut’s airports, specifically Bradley International airport, more attractive to new airlines and bring in new routes, which supports Connecticut’s overall economic development and growth strategy, officials have said.
