Engineering Discipline, Operational Insight

Joan Toni Castillo Grimalt is an experienced aeronautical engineer and quality professional. He currently serves as Maintenance Quality Manager and Safety Officer at Volotea. With a career rooted in aviation operations and expanded into maintenance and airworthiness, he brings a distinctive blend of regulatory expertise, technical depth, and a passion for safety culture to one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers.

Since entering the aeronautical sector, Grimalt has held increasingly technical and managerial roles, sharpening his expertise in compliance, quality assurance, and operational oversight. His approach is defined by a meticulous understanding of aviation regulations, an engineer’s mindset, and a firm belief that every process can be improved and that every team member has something to contribute.

At Volotea, Grimalt holds responsibility for the oversight and continuous improvement of quality, safety, and compliance systems across the company’s CAMO and Part-145 Maintenance Organisation. He leads audit programmes, regulatory inspections, and manual development, working closely with maintenance teams in multiple European and non-European locations. His remit includes the Airbus A320 family, and he is closely involved in maintaining Volotea’s high operational standards through rigorous application of CAME, MOE, and change management procedures. As a certified user of AMOS and AIMS systems, Grimalt ensures alignment between operational practices and strategic compliance requirements.

Before joining Volotea, Grimalt developed his career across multiple roles at BGHelicopters and the Heliport del Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where he managed a diverse portfolio of helicopter and fixed-wing fleets. As CAMO and Part-145 Quality Manager, he oversaw airworthiness for aircraft, including Airbus Helicopters, Bell 206, Robinson, and Cessna jets. These roles demanded full regulatory accountability; he held AESA Form 4 approval and led compliance across CAMO/ML/CAO operations. His work included developing airspace and fleet management tools, conducting internal audits, and ensuring safety remained central to all procedures.

While advancing his career in the aviation industry, Grimalt has maintained a strong presence in academia. He has served as a professor in the Department of Physics and Aerospace Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, where he previously studied engineering. His teaching combines classroom theory with real-world insight, helping engineering students develop a technical understanding and practical sense of how aviation systems operate under regulatory and performance pressures. His ability to bridge industry and academia has made him a valued educator who inspires students to pursue excellence with discipline and curiosity.

Grimalt’s early experience in flight operations laid the foundation for his current responsibilities. In his first aviation role, he worked on documentation verification, flight planning, and operational safety in coordination with AESA. That early grounding in flight operations continues to inform his systemslevel thinking. Today, he understands the full aircraft lifecycle from dispatch to maintenance, giving him a broad view of operational risk and efficiency.

Whether working with regulators, leading inspections, or mentoring junior engineers, Grimalt is known for his dedication and structured problem-solving. He clarifies complex regulatory challenges and instils a culture of responsibility within his teams. He takes pride in managing systems and people, ensuring that maintenance staffs across all Volotea bases are trained, supported, and confident in their roles.

Besides his professional responsibilities, Grimalt remains deeply engaged with aviation as a licensed private pilot. Flying for pleasure keeps him connected to the practical realities of air operations, offering a perspective that complements his regulatory work. His connection to flight fuels his commitment to excellence and safety values that have shaped every step of his professional path.

Across academia, airline operations, and regulatory quality management, Grimalt has built a career defined by technical rigour, operational clarity, and a consistent focus on safe, efficient, and compliant aviation. He continues to lead with engineering discipline, grounded insight, and a clear commitment to the longterm health of the aviation industry.