ATI comms • 18.09.24 • 4 min read

The Aerospace Technology Institute is thrilled to announced that Jacqueline Castle, Chief Technology Officer, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

At its AGM on 17 September 2024 the Royal Academy of Engineering elected 71 leading figures in the field of engineering and technology to its Fellowship. The group consists of 60 Fellows, six International Fellows and five Honorary Fellows, each of whom has made exceptional contributions to their own sector, pioneering new innovations, leading progress in business or academia, providing high level advice to government, or promoting wider understanding of engineering and technology.

This year’s new Fellows continue to reflect the Academy’s ongoing Fellowship Fit for the Future initiative announced in July 2020, to drive more nominations of outstanding engineers from underrepresented groups ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2026. This commits the Academy to strive for increased representation from women, disabled and LGBTQ+ engineers, those from minority ethnic backgrounds, non-traditional education pathways and emerging industries, and those who have achieved excellence at an earlier career stage than normal.

The new Fellows will be formally admitted to the Academy at a special ceremony in London on 27th November, when each Fellow will sign the roll book. In joining the Fellowship, they will lend their unique capabilities to achieving the Academy’s overarching strategic goal to harness the power of engineering to create a sustainable society and an inclusive economy for all.

Jacqueline joined the ATI in June 2023 as our Chief Technology Officer, with responsibility for the ATI’s Technology Strategy to ensure UK aerospace remains at the forefront of global aerospace and firmly on the path to a sustainable future.

Prior to joining the ATI, Jacqueline spent more than 25 years in the aerospace industry at Airbus. Most recently, she was the UK Chief Engineer for the Airbus A320 family of aircraft, with responsibility for the wings, landing gear and fuel system. Prior to this she was UK Chief Engineer for the A380 aircraft. Other Senior Technical positions include leading the implementation of cutting-edge wing technologies and aerodynamic innovations for the fuel-efficient A330neo development, directing A380 and A350 landing gear engineering and heading up the Wing Design Authority organisation.

Jacqueline is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society. She is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the University of the West of England and gained an MSc in Aerospace Design from the University of Bristol, where she is Professor of Practice at the Faculty of Engineering.

Jacqueline Castle FREng, Chief Technology Officer, Aerospace Technology Institute says: 

“I am flattered and honoured to receive this award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. I’ve had the good fortune to work on incredible products with outstanding engineers during more than 30 years in the aerospace sector and I am proud to play a part in the technology evolution necessary for the next generation of sustainable aircraft.”

Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“Our new Fellows represent some of the most talented people in the world of engineering and are taken from the ranks of those who are aiming to address some of our most critical problems. We are proud to say that many of our newly elected Fellows have come from underrepresented groups in engineering and related sectors and we hope this helps to tackle some of the issues around a lack of diversity within the profession. There is ample evidence that a wider pool of ideas and experiences helps to improve decision-making and develop novel solutions to global challenges.”

More information can be found on the Royal Academy of Engineering’s website: https://raeng.org.uk/new-fellows-2024/