Paris (France), 1 January 2010 - After 28 years of service in ICAO, Jacques Vanier retired on 29 May 2009 leaving his position as Regional Officer (Air Traffic Management) at the Paris-based EUR/NAT Office.

“ I’m losing a fantastic colleague with whom I have worked in different capacities for 20 years,” said Karsten Theil, the ICAO Regional Director, “but I’ll not be losing a dear friend.”

From left to right: Jacques Vanier and Karsten Theil

Jacques is well known within the European Region for his significant contributions to, among other initiatives, the implementation of RVSM and the work required to realise the goal of Single European rules of the air. Jacques mastered the North Atlantic Systems Planning Group (NAT SPG) and its sub-groups for 20 years as well as being the key player in seminars and workshops: SAR, VFOP, RVSM etc...

Jacques Vanier began his career in civil aviation as an air traffic controller with Transport Canada in February 1970 where he received tower, approach, radar and non-radar en route and automation ratings He then left Transport Canada in February 1980 to begin his international career in Nigeria training radar air traffic controllers. In October 1981, he joined the ICAO Technical Assistance Bureau in Saudi Arabia as an air traffic controller until January 1985 when he joined the Secretariat as a RAC/SAR Technical Officer at the Western and Central African Office in Dakar. In 1989 he was transferred to the Paris Regional Office where he has been ever since with main areas of activity being the North Atlantic and addressing air traffic management issues in the European Region.

“In 1989, as he was coming from the ICAO Dakar Office, he brought with him his experience and wide knowledge of the AFI states and was definitely recognised as a valuable asset in the EUR/AFI meetings. His skills and experience were regularly called for at different Regional Air Navigation meetings.  For all this, it was a privilege to work with such a professional person,” said Nikki Goldschmid, (an ATM technical assistant) working at the Paris Office whose first team work with Jacques dates back to 1988 at the AFI/RAN Meeting in Lomé (Togo).