Peter Masefield

Sir Peter Masefield (19 March 1914 – 14 February 2006) was a leading figure in Britain's post war aviation industry, as Chief Executive of British European Airways in the 1950s, and chairman of the British Airports Authority in the 1960s.

Life Peter Gordon Masefield was born in 1914 in Trentham, Staffordshire. Initially educated at Westminster School and Chillon College in Montreux, Switzerland, Masefield studied engineering at Jesus College, Cambridge. Following a childhood fascination with aircraft, Masefield gained his pilot's licence while in Cambridge which he maintained for the rest of his career. Masefield also accompanied Beaverbrook to Washington DC for talks that led to the creation of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Masefield also played a major part in the 1946 negotiations of the Bermuda Agreement – which governed air services and routes between the United States and the UK. This commercially aggressive approach including resulted in monthly earnings of £1 million, and BEA was profitable by 1955. Other successes included ordering the Vickers Viscount turboprop airliner – which became the leading short-haul aircraft in Europe by the mid-1950s

British Airports Authority In 1965 Masefield was made chairman of the British Airports Authority (BAA), which took over management of the major airports in the UK. Owing to the Jet Age, passenger numbers increased by 62% to 20 million a year, with profits of £38m. A second five-year term running BAA was not forthcoming, and he retired from the chairmanship at the end of 1976, to be succeeded in the new year by Nigel Foulkes. a job he did for two years. During the period, investment on the London Underground was not substantial, which has been subsequently criticised.

In the following years Masefield remained active as a chairperson, director and committee member for a wide variety of trusts, committees and museums – including Brooklands Museum (being the first chairman of its trustees), the British Association of Aviation Consultants and the Croydon Airport society. as well as an autobiography. He died on 14 February 2006, aged 91.