Julie Stewart

With more than 35 years of tourism, hospitality and aviation experience in both Queensland and New South Wales Julie is the Airport Manager of the Ballina Shire Council owned and operated Ballina Byron Gateway Airport. Julie has vast experience in hospitality, tourism and aviation operations, business development, infrastructure planning, project delivery and investment funding.

Having worked on Hayman Island and pre-opening of resorts in the Whitsundays and on the privatisation process at Sydney Airport and also working at local government, and completing her Masters in Business Administration her knowledge and appreciation for private and public business processes and benefits has supported her throughout her career. Julie has also studied a Bachelor of Science (with Japanese) at Griffith University – a language & cultural skill she used in assisting a family business in the exporting of goods to Japan under an Austrade program.

Julie is the current NSW Chair and Director on the Australian Airports Association board. Her drive and passion for aviation has been built from years of crisis and major event response at Sydney Airport during the major Sydney Airport upgrades in the late 90’s, the 2000 Olympic Games, 9/11 and common-user integration of the former Ansett terminal after the airline’s collapse and more recently saw Ballina Byron Gateway Airport lead the national aviation recovery during the pandemic and support the local community during the devastating Northern NSW floods. Julie also guest lectures at UNSW in Aviation Management studies.