Alan Hirst

A Message to All Our Veteran Traffic Friends:

It is with sadness that I bring you the news of the passing of Alan Hirst.
Alan’s time with us goes back to the wonderful time of the ‘Old Terminal’.
Joining us in those halcyon days of 1966, after passing muster from Charlie Brathwaite in Hangar 11.
He endured the strike of ‘66, then did the usual rounds of, Mail Room, Departure Gates and Arrival Hall.
Within a few months he was a regular face on the Check-in Counter.

As the ‘Jumbo’ era approached, Alan learned the intricate art of ‘Fares & Ticketing’.
This required a ‘Big Fat Book of Rules’ and the new technology of computers which came with the opening of the ‘New Terminal’ in 1970.
After 10 years at Sydney Airport Sales Desk, Alan decided to try his hand in America. Los Angeles to be precise.
He continued service with Qantas in LAX and was appointed Duty Airport Manager in 1980 through to 1997.
In 1998, Alan took up a position with Air Pacific within Customer Relations where he remained until 2000.
In the year 2000, Alan was appointed to the position of LAX World Airports Superintendent where he remained until his retirement in 2015.

Alan was always very active, enjoying the sport of ‘skydiving’, motorcycle riding, building an experimental aircraft and more recently, gold prospecting (to improve the coffers with the price of gold going up)
Most of all he enjoyed coming home to eat his wife's homemade sourdough bread.
Alan was 82 years young and is survived by his wife, Joyce and 2 children with 5 grandchildren living in Australia.

A caring man and helpful to others, he passed away on Thursday, 17 April 2025 due to a sudden heart attack.

Farewell Alan – Rest in Peace.