Airservices appoints acting CEO Harfield to the top job

Airservices Australia has ended a seven-month hunt for a new chief and appointed acting CEO Jason Harfield to the role.

Jason Harfield at Brisbane Airport.

The government-owned national air traffic control organisation Airservices Australia has ended a seven-month hunt for a new chief executive and appointed acting CEO Jason Harfield to the role.

The appointment comes despite controversy surrounding the government body’s dealings with an obscure Canberra-based organisation with international military links called the International Centre for Complex Project Management (ICCPM).

Mr Harfield, who started with Airservices 26 years ago as an air traffic controller, was appointed acting CEO after the resignation last July of former RAAF officer Margaret Staib.

Mr Harfield has lobbied internally to take the top job and was considered a favourite despite Airservices hiring executive headhunting firm Spencer Stuart to conduct a global search.

“The board reviewed an extensive field of candidates and concluded that Mr Harfield offered the right blend of experience, skill and drive to lead the organisation,” said Airservices chair Sir Angus ­Houston.

The appointment comes despite bipartisan requests — from Liberal senator Bill Heffernan and Labor senator Glenn Sterle — to ensure no new chief executive was appointed at Airservices before the findings of an investigation into dealings over the organisation’s controversial $1.5 billion OneSKY air traffic control project were known.

OneSKY will integrate the nation’s civilian and military air traffic control systems.

The Australian National Audit Office last year launched an inquiry into contracts awarded by Airservices to consultants associated with ICCPM.