Tributes paid after death of widely-respected air cargo executive

THERE is immense sadness as the untimely death of aviation expert Conor Brannigan after a brave battle with illness.

A native of Aghyaran, Brannigan lived in Beragh and was the devoted husband of Louise and father of Liam and Fiadh.

Conor was also well-known and respected for his work at the very highest echelons of the air cargo industry spanning a successful two-decade career.

He held several executive positions, most recently as Vice President of Strategy at Atlas Air.

Previously he served as Magma Aviation as CEO for three years, successfuly steering the company through a period of growth while the industry navigated the post-pandemic landscape.

His death has prompted an outpouring of tributes from a range of peers.

Neil Dursley, Chief Operating Officer for Multi-Modal and Air Charter Broking at Global Critical Logistics, shared on Linkedin that it was “A very sad day, as a friend and former colleague of mine who did a wonderful job as CEO of Magma Aviation has passed away at a very early age. His career in aviation was excellent at Aer Lingus, Etihad Cargo, Cargolux Airlines, Magma Aviation and finally Atlas Air.

“The last time I saw Conor was at the Six Nations Rugby at Twickenham, where we had a wonderful time together. I last spoke to him in July and he told me he was doing better and enjoying his role at Atlas Air. He will be missed in the industry, and may he rest in peace.”

Ryan Keyrouse, CEO of Rotate, recalled Conor’s strength and resilence in the face of serious illness: “Conor was always open to share ideas on a whiteboard and the first to join for a beer. I was surprised to see him at WCS in Dubai, where, despite his diagnosis, he remained determined to carry on. That very morning, he had run 10k in the Dubai heat. I left our last discussion optimistic and motivated, and the next morning, I went for a run.”

A humanist funeral celebration of Conor’s life will be held this Wednesday at St Mary’s Park, Beragh at 2pm.