Professor Callum Thomas
Professor of Sustainable Aviation
My profile
Biography
I have a degree in Zoology, my doctorate is in seabird reproductive biology. I carried out post doc research at Durham University into the wintering gull populations in Northern England before moving to Manchester Airport where I set up its Bird Control Unit, Environment and Community Relations Departments. I was then seconded to and later employed at MMU where, working with David Raper, we established the Centre for Aviation Transport and the Environment. My expertise is in bird hazards to aircraft, the sustainable development and environmental impacts of the air transport industry and how these can be addressed to enable the aviation industry to grow and contribute to sustainable regional development.
External examiner roles
Exernal examiner at Loughtborough University - PhD - Aircraft Noise Impacts Around Airports in Thailand
Prizes and awards
2008 Appointed Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
Other distinctions
Current or previous:
Airports Council International WORLD Standing Committee on Environment
Airports Council International EUROPE Environment Committee (chair between 1995-1997)
Airports Council International Airport Carbon Accrediation Scheme Advisory Board
Member of the Airports Commission Experts Panel that is considering the provision of extra runway capacity in the SE of England
UK Government DETR Aviation and Airports Policy Advisory Group
UK Government DoT Noise and Sleep Disturbance Working Party
UK Government DTi Commercial Aviation Sustainability Strategy
Board Member Greater Manchester Waste and Chairman of GMW (Manchester Collections) Ltd
Expert reviewer for external funding bodies
Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Airport Management
Visiting and honorary positions
Adjunct Professor at the Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin
Personal website address
Teaching
Why do I teach?
I teach because I get pleasure out of sharing my knowledge with others and preparing them for employment. But also it gives me the ability to influence people and hopefully enable them to contribute to developing a more sustainable world.
How I’ll teach you
I will share my experience of working in the real world. I will tell you about the research I am involved with. I will hopefully inspire you with exciting stories that articulate the sustainable development challenge we face. I will try to be available for your when you need advice and support.
Why study…
Our love of flying provides a wonderful example of the challenge we face as a society in respect of the sustainability of the lives we live. Aviation has changed the world, permitting global mobility and travel for business, to visit friends and family and for personal fulfillment. The social and economic benefits of air transport are very significant, but so too are the adverse environmental impact, many of which are growing year on year a trend that is unsustainable. My research and teaching is focused upon quantifying those adverse impacts and finding ways to reduce then so that we can continue to travel in the future.
Postgraduate teaching
MSc Sustainable Aviation
Subject areas
Sustainable Development and Environmental Impacts of the Air Transport Industry
Supervision
Graeme Heyes - PhD - Airport Retailing in a Low Carbon Economy - Completed 2016
Jon Davies - PhD - Implications of the Internationalisation Strategies for UK Universities for their Carbon Emissions - Submitted 2016.
Andy Wolfenden - PhD The Effects of Airport Noise on Avian Song and Communities - Ongoing
Carly Fletcher - PhD Towards Zero Waste: Optimisation of waste material flows for sustainability benefits.- Ongoing
Regine Sonderland-Saga - PhD - Smart Cities: Understanding the interplay between Community Engagement, Consumption of Energy and Carbon Emissions. Ongoing
Rebecca Hudson - PhD - The development of improved metrics for use in aircraft noise communications as part of stakeholder engagement strategies around airports. Ongoing
Research outputs
Sustainable development and the air transport industry.
Airport environment capacity constraints.
Aircraft noise and airport community impacts
Airport carbon management
Aviation adapting to a changing climate
Managing bird hazards to aircraft