Sinead McCloskey, air traffic operations and safety and compliance professional, has been announced as a member of the judging panel for the Aviation Industry Awards 2026, bringing an international career spanning UK airport operations, Dubai International Airport, UAE air navigation services, and the frontier of space-based aviation surveillance to Ireland's benchmark programme for aviation excellence and innovation.

McCloskey built her operational foundation working at various UK airports before relocating to Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, where she developed the safety and operational leadership expertise that has defined her career. 

A period as an Air Traffic Services Inspector with the UK Civil Aviation Authority gave her a regulatory perspective on aviation safety and compliance that few operational professionals develop, before she returned to the UAE to hold a series of safety leadership positions within Dubai Air Navigation Services. 

Most recently, she served as Safety Post-holder for the first ever EASA-certified space-based surveillance service, a role that placed her at the cutting edge of aviation technology and regulatory innovation in a domain that is reshaping how airspace is monitored and managed globally.

Her academic and professional credentials reinforce a career built on technical authority and institutional engagement. McCloskey holds a Masters Degree in Aviation Safety and was deeply involved with the work of the CANSO Safety Steering Committee for many years, contributing to the international conversations that shape airline safety standards and airport operations management across the global aviation community. 

That combination of frontline operational experience, regulatory inspection, safety leadership, and international standards engagement equips her to assess entries with an expert understanding of what genuine aviation excellence and operational performance require under real-world conditions.

The Aviation Industry Awards, launched in 2014, spans 25 categories from Aviation Company of the Year and airport management to aviation innovation, airline safety, aviation technology, and Aviation Rising Star. 

McCloskey joins fellow panellists Judging Coordinator Dr Viktoriia Ivannikova of DCU, Adam Bouchard of Nashville International Airport, John Drysdale of Annadale Aviation, Samantha Harding of SILC, Aidan Flanagan of ACI EUROPE, Kieran O'Brien of KPMG Ireland, John McMahon of M.J. McMahon & Company, Dr Kyriakos Kourousis of the University of Limerick, and Michael Treacy of Enterprise Ireland.

The awards gala will take place on 3 December 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin Airport.

Visit the official Aviation Industry Awards website to explore the shortlist and subscribe to the newsletter for the latest awards and event updates.