Non Executive Chairman
Steve Padgett has been in aviation for over 50 years, learning to fly at age 16 after winning a RAAF Flying Scholarship and then completing his Commercial Pilot Licence and a Flight Instructor Rating with command on Cessna Citation Business Jets.
In 1980 in Sydney, launched his own company, Aeromil, and in 1995, moved Aeromil to Queensland's Sunshine Coast, which was the catalyst for the establishment of Sunshine Express Airlines in 1998 for Ansett Airlines and later Qantas, and responsible for the introduction of a jet training centre for Singapore Airlines at the Sunshine Coast Airport.
During 2002 Steve co-founded the fledgling Alliance Airlines and appointed Chairman when the company publicly listed nine years later.
Steve is a Life Member of the Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA), Chairman of the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame and an active supporter of the Australian Air Force Cadets Foundation.
In recent years Steve was awarded the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his service to aviation, elected a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and in 2022 presented The Australian Bi-Centennial Award by the London based Honourable Company of Air Pilots.