With retirement on the horizon after 53 years of working in the aviation industry, Edward “Barry” Foster is grateful for the opportunities which led him to the field to which he has dedicated his entire career.
“I am now in the twilight of this journey and I have had truly some exciting experiences over the decades. I am just enjoying the fruits of my labour with retirement in mind because with age, sometimes you want to evaluate yourself and dedicate more time to your family,” says Foster.
His introduction to aviation came at the age of 18 after a conversation with a close friend.
“After leaving Cornwall College I wanted to pursue a course in biochemistry, so I started to work at mosquito and sand-fly research. It was enjoyable because entomology is quite a field, but then I was introduced to the airlines by a schoolmate of mine who worked for Pan American World Airways,” Foster recounts.
Intrigued, he began working at Pan American World Airways as a customer service representative.
“Pan Am at that time was a premium top-notch carrier with so many firsts… So believe me, the way he projected it as if I was missing out on a lot, I was enthralled. We were quite close and he advised me that there was a customer service vacancy, so I applied. Fortunately, I was successful,” he says.
Bright-eyed and eager to learn, Foster spent his time educating himself on the operations of the airline.
After five years and countless learning lessons, he decided it was time to move to the next stage of his career. He moved on to Eastern Airlines as a supervisor. He flourished.
“I grew through the ranks with Eastern Airlines where I managed Montego Bay, Kingston and Cayman. One time my regional manager was going off for an extended period and I was fortunate to work at the headquarters in Miami, Florida. I had 14 stations that I had to oversee and that was very good… It was quite an enjoyable experience,” he says.
Foster would go on to work with Eastern Airlines for 20 years before deciding to take up other opportunities. In 2010, he landed a job as general manager of the International Aircraft Management (IAM) Jet Centre, the company handling the corporate business jets landing at the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay.
These career-building opportunities, Foster shares, have not only allowed him to build a strong foundation in the aviation industry, but have brought immense joy as he has had the privilege of travelling the world over the last 53 years.
“I have enjoyed the airline business because you meet so many people, deal with different situations and challenges, plus if you have the time you can fly around the world,” he says.
After 12 years, Foster is now looking ahead to retirement. His main focus, he says, is ensuring that his successor is prepared to take over the helm of IAM Jet Centre.
“I will ensure that I spend time to groom whoever succeeds me. I will also always be available to provide insight,” he states.
“[He or she] will have to have a degree of loyalty and integrity to aviation,” he adds.
