Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security & Space Solutions Worldwide
  • Home
  • /
  • Aerospace
  • /
  • Birmingham Airport heroes save passenger's life

Aerospace

Birmingham Airport heroes save passenger's life

Today, four employees working at Birmingham Airport will be presented with a Chief Constable’s Award and Royal Humane Society Resuscitation certificates for their actions which led to saving a life this very day last year.

Above: Kay Hodgkisson Customer Experience and Standards Manager and Stuart Haseley-Nejrup Head of Customer Experience.

The awards ceremony will be held tonight at the Lord Knights Suite, based at Tally Ho in Birmingham to honour their services.

On 13th June 2018, a passenger suffered cardiac arrest at Birmingham Airport and the actions of all four employees resulted in the passenger making a full recovery.

Advertisement
ODU RT

As well as reassuring other passengers in the vicinity, CPR was performed on the patient until the paramedics arrived on site. With their condition stabilised, they were then taken to hospital for necessary monitoring and aftercare. 

Kay Hodgkisson, Customer Experience and Standards Manager at Birmingham Airport, along with Sergeant 3607 Nick Hill, Constable 20508 Adam Beckett and Constable 21491 Stuart Leeding from West Midlands Police, have been invited to the awards ceremony to be formally recognised for their lifesaving efforts.

Kay, who has worked at the airport for a number of years, said: “’No day is ever the same’ couldn’t be a truer statement with my role at Birmingham Airport. Each day you encounter lots of varying, and sometimes challenging situations that take a lot of training and on the job experience to be able to deal with.  

“Receiving a call about a casualty or fatality is probably the one call where you need to think the quickest. Every minute counts and in this particular scenario, our response was immediate. The passenger was found unconscious with a head injury – there was a lot to think about, keeping his family calm, controlling the passenger traffic to resuscitating the passenger, doing all we could until they showed signs of life.

“West Midlands Police did an incredible job, we all worked together faultlessly resulting in the passenger making a full recovery - which is just fantastic. I’m truly honoured to be receiving a Chief Constable’s Award and Royal Humane Society Resuscitation certificate and could not have done it without the support from the Police and the training received for my job.”

Advertisement
ODU RT

Stuart Haseley-Nejrup, Head of Customer Experience commented: “We are all so proud of Kay and the Police Officers for reacting so quickly and calmly.  Situations like this would test anyone, however the team reacted and worked together in an exemplary manner. 

"I am so pleased that the passenger has made a full recovery and how wonderful for Kay and the team to be recognised for this, especially as the ceremony takes place a year to the date!”

At the time of the incident, Kay Hodgkisson was a Passenger Services Manager, having now been promoted to her current role of Customer Experience and Standards Manager.


 

Advertisement
Gulfstream banner
Vision Engineering appoints Harry Curtis as Technical Director

Aerospace Defence

Vision Engineering appoints Harry Curtis as Technical Director

17 April 2026

Woking headquartered Vision Engineering Group, provider of ergonomic microscopy and metrology solutions, has announced the appointment of Harry Curtis to the position of Technical Director, effective 1st April 2026.

Chapman Freeborn OBC partners with Freeze Carbon on emissions measurement

Aerospace

Chapman Freeborn OBC partners with Freeze Carbon on emissions measurement

16 April 2026

Chapman Freeborn OBC, a global On-Board Courier (OBC) logistics provider, has partnered with Freeze Carbon to strengthen its approach to emissions measurement and mitigation across time-critical aviation logistics operations.

Cirium reveals 2025 global airline emissions rankings

Aerospace

Cirium reveals 2025 global airline emissions rankings

16 April 2026

Singapore-based Scoot has been named the world’s most emissions-efficient airline in Cirium’s 2025 EmeraldSky Annual Review, taking the top spot from last year’s leader, Wizz Air.

AGS Airports appoints transformation design partners

Aerospace

AGS Airports appoints transformation design partners

15 April 2026

AGS Airports has appointed professional services firm WSP and architectural practice Pascall + Watson as its design partners for the next stage of its £350 million AGS Reimagined transformation programme, across Glasgow and Southampton airports.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Heathrow handles over quarter of UK trade by value in 2025

Aerospace

Heathrow handles over quarter of UK trade by value in 2025

15 April 2026

Heathrow handled £293 billion worth of goods in 2025, according to the latest Government trade data, which is more than a quarter of all UK trade by value.

Chapman Freeborn appoints Danish Cutleriwala as Country Manager India

Aerospace

Chapman Freeborn appoints Danish Cutleriwala as Country Manager India

15 April 2026

Chapman Freeborn has appointed Danish Cutleriwala as Country Manager India, to lead the company's operations in one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation and logistics markets.

Advertisement
ODU RT
Advertisement
FIA2026 animated banner