United Airlines Celebrates Longest Serving Employee Based in the UK

United Airlines is celebrating a remarkable milestone achieved by one of its most dedicated employees based in the UK, Alan Temple, who marks his 55th work anniversary at the airline this year. This extraordinary achievement makes Alan Temple, United’s Plant and Equipment Manager, not only United’s longest serving UK employee, but also one of the longest serving employees out of all companies based at Heathrow Airport, reflecting a population of approximately 90,000.

Today, Alan joined his colleagues, past and present, as well as family, at United’s EMEIA Regional headquarters at London Heathrow, for a special celebratory event, including speeches, a cake cutting, and the presentation of a framed Pan Am menu from 1970.

Alan began his journey at Pan Am in 1969 as a Ground Equipment Mechanic, troubleshooting and repairing Ground Service Equipment. During Alan’s lengthy and successful career, he has witnessed many memorable moments in aviation history, from the arrival of the very first Boeing 747 at London Heathrow in 1970 and United’s acquisition of Pan Am’s LHR routes in 1991, through to the first flight into Heathrow’s newly opened Terminal 2 in 2014 and the final farewell to the Queen of the Skies, with United’s last Boeing 747 flight departing Heathrow in 2017.

“We are proud to mark Alan’s 55th work anniversary at United Airlines today, celebrating a successful career that has spanned over half a century,” said Maria Deacon, SVP Technical Operations, United Airlines. “Alan continues to be an integral part of our operations at London Heathrow, and his unwavering dedication, extensive experience and knowledge in the industry has truly made him a respected figure among his colleagues and the broader airport community.”

This year, United Airlines is marking 10 years of its operations at London Heathrow Terminal 2, since becoming the first airline to operate a flight at The Queen’s Terminal on 4 June 2014. The airline has been serving the U.K. for over 30 years and operates up to 20 daily flights from London Heathrow to its hubs at Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington D.C. United also offers year-round service from Edinburgh to New York/Newark and seasonal service from Edinburgh to Chicago O’Hare and Washington D.C.