A London Luton Airport firefighter has been named as an Aviation Ambassador by the Department for Transport (DfT). Watch Manager, David Gardner, is one of ten new volunteers appointed to inspire young people to pursue a career in the dynamic world of aviation. 

David will act as a role model to raise the profile of the aviation sector and promote career opportunities to the next generation of aviation professionals. His role will include school visits, hosting workshops and using social media and communication platforms to showcase the wide range of roles offered by the aviation sector, including those that are often overlooked or less understood.

David commented: “I’m passionate about shaping the lives of young people and opening eyes to the many amazing careers that aviation offers, particularly those opportunities that may not be immediately apparent. From a young age, I knew that office work or university wasn’t for me, and I know there will be other young people who feel the same. The aviation sector is so dynamic and I want to use my role as an Aviation Ambassador to highlight that so many diverse roles such as mine are available. I believe my role will also align perfectly with the many amazing education and skills development initiatives that London Luton Airport is delivering across our local communities through our Classroom to Careers programme*.”

David is an experienced aviation fire fighter at LLA, holding the role of watch commander and medical lead for the airport’s first responder scheme. In addition to his role, he delivers a range of volunteering activities. These include arranging for female pilots from the airport to attend local schools to help dispel myths about historic gender stereotypes, organising visits from external groups to promote the firefighter role and giving fire and medical training sessions to local schools and scouting groups. 

Aviation Minister, Keir Maher, said: "Aviation is full of exciting opportunities and fulfilling career paths and we’re determined to encourage more young people to see the sector as a place where they can thrive and build rewarding, long-term futures. Our Aviation Ambassadors are key to making that happen – sharing their own journeys, helping to break down barriers and showing the sky really is the limit. By broadening horizons, we’re helping to secure the future of UK aviation while delivering regional growth, jobs and skills.” 

-Ends-

Notes to Editors

*Launched in 2024, LLA’s flagship Classroom to Careers programme is a collaboration between the airport and Luton Council’s Children, Families and Education team. The programme has delivered education and skills development workshops to almost 400 Luton-based students to date, while also welcoming six new local young people to apprenticeship roles across its Guest Experience, Digital Marketing, Commercial, Health and Safety and Sustainability teams. 

In November 2025, LLA joined the Aviation Industry Skills Board (AISB). The AISB is an independent, employer-led body dedicated to driving skills development in the sector. Its membership includes aviation organisations across airports, airlines and ground services and sector stakeholders, along with government bodies Skills England, the Department for Transport (DfT) Department for Education (DfE) and Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

About London Luton Airport

London Luton Airport (LLA) is one of the UK’s busiest airports, operated by a consortium, of which the majority shareholder is AENA, the world’s largest airport operator, and InfraBridge, a leading infrastructure investment manager. Airlines include Jet2, easyJet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Tui, FlyOne, Sun Express and El Al.

The airport is owned for community benefit by Luton Rising, a company wholly-owned by Luton Council, which has invested more than £500m in front-line, voluntary and charitable services since 1998.

The Luton Airport Express is a new dedicated train service that allows passengers to travel from central London to the LLA terminal in around 30 minutes. The Luton Airport Express runs from St Pancras International to Luton Airport Parkway station and connects seamlessly with the DART, an electrically powered people mover that connects to the airport terminal in less than four minutes.

In 2024, LLA was named European Airport of the Year (10-25 million passengers) by ACI EUROPE, and in 2025 LLA received the highest possible rating of 'Very Good' in the annual Airport Accessibility report published by the CAA, assessing assisted travel service performance.

In 2023, LLA also achieved Level 4 of the globally recognised Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme, demonstrating that it is ‘transforming its operations to achieve carbon reductions in line with global climate goals’. With a maximum score of 100 and a five-star rating, LLA has been ranked as a sector leader for four consecutive years in the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) benchmark of sustainability governance management and performance of major infrastructure assets worldwide.

LLA continues to be a major employer and a key economic driver in Bedfordshire — supporting 28,000 jobs and contributing £830 million per year to the local economy. In 2024, LLA spent 60% of its supply chain costs with more than 300 businesses within a 25-mile radius of the airport, totalling £110 million.

London Luton Airport Press Office
T: 01582 395333
E: pressoffice@ltn.aero

URL: https://mediahub.london-luton.co.uk/news/28012026/lla-firefighter-ignites-passion-for-aviation