James Goodwin has left the Australian Airport Association (AAA) after four years as CEO.

Goodwin revealed the news on a LinkedIn update late on Friday. He did not reveal his next career move, but said he would take a break “before focusing on the next chapter”.

Goodwin joined the AAA as CEO in May 2020 when the travel industry was rocked with challenges caused by COVID-19. He has introduced several initiatives during his four-year tenor, including the Airport Retail and Commercial Forum, Mining Aerodrome Forum and the MyAirportCareer program.

He has also been a key advocate of diversity in the space and has been instrumental in the development of Women in Airports, whilst also acting as a mentor on the initiative.

Goodwin’s role as an advocate of the airline industry also led him to have a close relationship with the Australian government. He has engaged with three ministers for infrastructure and transport in his time as CEO and has overseen the development and submission of multiple policy papers including the Aviation Green Paper.

Goodwin started his career as a journalist before moving into government and media relations at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

He later moved into corporate affairs at Airservices Australia before taking up the role of acting executive at the Australian Automobile Association and later as CEO at ANCAP Safety. He has held several board positions including board member at the ACT Road Safety Advisory Board and Road Safety Fund and the St Johns Ambulance.

Goodwin regularly spoke at industry events and was on a panel at Travel Weekly’s Travel DAZE Exec alongside editor Grant Jones and Christina Werkstetter, Sydney Airport’s senior VP.

Many expressed their sadness at Goodwin leaving the role. Dave Batic CEO of Port Hedland International Airport commented on Goodwin’s post saying “You took the AAA from strength to strength” and CEO of Unicef Tony Stuart said “James you are great at what you do and I look forward to seeing what you’re next to adventure is.”