Ali Ghandour

Background

Ghandour grew up in Beirut, Lebanon where he spent most of his youth, he was admitted to IC, a private co-educational preparatory school to the American University of Beirut which he graduated from later with Aerospace engineering degree.

Education

Student, American University, Beirut. Degree in aircraft maintenance engineering, New York University, 1953.

Career

He is a native of Lebanon and a ian citizen. he also went for further education at New York University - United States. Gandour went back to Lebanon in 1954 and joined the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority as an engineer and Head of aviation Safety. Despite the fact that Ghandour was in Paris on a training course during the coup, he was wanted by the Lebanese government and considered a fugitive.

Thus, Gandour took refuge at Paris then Côte d"Ivoire which he left later to Kuwait.

Ghandour"s refuge to Kuwait was accepted by the Kuwaiti authorities as long as no conviction was issued by the Lebanese government for his arrest. Ghandour remained and worked for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Kuwait not long before a death sentence in absentia was issued by Lebanon which forced him to Leave immediately to The meeting was Ghandour"s life turning point when King Hussein asked him about his future plans to which Ghandour"s intentions were to travel back to West Africa, King Hussein did not recommend Ghandour"s plans, instead he offered him to remain in in order to establish a new national airline to which Ghandour accepted.

Gandour presented the Feasibility study to King Hussein which he liked and gave orders to commence the project backed up by a Royal decree in 1963. A week later, a DCC plane were leased from Lebanese International Airways and were scheduled to fly to Jerusalem and Beirut.

2 more Dart Herald of Royal ian Air Force were provided by King Hussein to convert into civilian planes for usage in the newly established airline.

Gandour"s recommendation to name the new airline Royal ian was approved by King Hussein, the name was also extended to ALIA after the king"s eldest daughter Princess Alia. (lieutenant is a common misconception that the airline was named after the King"s third wife, Queen Alia. Director of Jet Airways Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut Company-chairman of Aviation Pioneers Advisor to King Hussein on civil aviation, civil air transport and tourism Board of Trustees of the Royal Society of Fine Arts Board of Trustees of the Royal Endowment for Culture and Education Grand Cordon of the Order of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Nahda of.

Achievements

• Ali Ghandour has been listed as a noteworthy Aviation consultant by Marquis Who's Who.

Politics

Ghandour"s political tendencies led him to join the Syrian Social Nationalist Party (SSNP) whose members were chased after by the Lebanese government due to a failed coup which the party attempted in 1961.

Membership

Trustee American U., Beirut, 1978. Member of advisory county The Center Contemporary Arab Studies Georgetown University, 1979, chairman center's advisory county, 1979-1990. Board director center strategic studies U. Jordan, since 1983.

Member of the Board of Governors FlightSafety Foundation, since 1984. Member hihger national committee The Jerash Festival, Amman. Trustee American Center Oriental Research, Queen Noor Al-Hussein Foundation.

Member Wold Affairs Council Jordan (board director 1977-1991), Royal Jordanian Academy Aeronautics (founder 1965, vice president 1965-1975, chairman of the board of trustees 1975-1989), Arab Wings Amman (founder 1975, Chairman of the Board 1976-1989), Royal Jordanian Falcons (founder 1976, Chairman of the Board 1976-1989), Royal Society Fine Arts (trustee Amman), Royal Endowment Culture and Education (trustee Amman), World Aerospace Education Organisation (board directors).

Connections

colleague:

King Hussein