Stephen Byron's most challenging year ends with a silver lining

The citation reads that it was for "significant service to the aviation sector and tourism".

"I'm very humbled by the recognition from the community," Mr Byron said of his award.

He has been in charge of the airport as it has navigated the worst year in the history of aviation.

At one stage, there were barely 50 passengers going through the terminal designed for 20,000. Nine months ago, he talked of "a very hard time for all as we navigate our way through the COVID-19 pandemic".

Since then, he has promoted the airport vigorously as borders have been blocked, and the possibility of planning travel - and so booking flights - seemed impossible.

He embarked on relentless lobbying and marketing, persuading smaller airlines to operate from Canberra as international carriers pulled out and domestic carriers cut flights. The result is that destinations within Australia have expanded to compensate (to some extent) for the loss of routes overseas.

At the lowest ebb, he was considering the option of "shuttering" the terminal - in effect, putting it into hibernation - until times improved.

That was avoided. The airport now has 40 per cent of its usual passenger traffic, up from barely two per cent.

He attributed the growth from the depths partly to the "gold standard" policy of the ACT government for imposing border restrictions "only as a last resort but when they are required, and at the same time being the most responsive and the quickest to remove them when they are not required."

But there seems little doubt that his own energy in keeping contact with governments and airlines played a strong part.

Despite the recent progress for the airport, Mr Byron said there was some way to go, particularly if you take into account the number of pilots and other staff not directly employed by the airport who remain out of work.

"At Canberra Airport, we may have 40 per cent of our passengers back but we've only got 50 to 55 per cent of the jobs back so there's a long way to go."

He has led the parent company, Capital Airport Group, since the acquisition of Canberra Airport in 1998 by his father, Terry Snow. He has overseen the expansion of the airport and business parks around it and the company's expansion into real estate development at Denman Prospect.

"I'm very passionate about Canberra and about the ability to make it as wonderful as possible."

Reacting to his award, he praised his family and the staff around him. "We could never have done this without the support of all the staff who have worked with us.

"All of this has come through my parents, Ginette Snow and Terry Snow, and the support of my siblings, Georgina, Tom and Scarlett."

Mr Byron attended Canberra Grammar School from 1979 to 1987. His father and brother also attended the school. He joined the Canberra Grammar School Board in 2013 and was appointed chairman in 2014.